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Reductionism Flashcards

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1
Q

what is reductionism?

A

Reductionism is when complex behaviours are broken down into simple variables/ simplistic behaviours

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2
Q

What is machine reductionism?

A

This is when the human brain is reduced to processors of information using the computer analogy.

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3
Q

What is animal reductionism?

A

Animal reductionism is the assumption that we can understand human behaviour by studying the behaviour of other species.

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4
Q

What is biological reductionism?

A
  • To reduce behaviour to a physical level
  • There are no social factors involved
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5
Q

What is experimental reductionism?

A

This is where a complex behaviour is reduced to a single (isolated) variable for the purpose of testing.

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6
Q

What is environmental reductionism?

A

Reducing complex behaviour down to a simple stimulus and response

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7
Q

What is holism?

A
  • Holism is when something is studied as a whole - for example in considering treatment for someone, there might be a holistic approach, which means considering everything about that individual.
  • Holism is therefore the opposite of reductionism
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8
Q

SOCIAL

What is an example of reductionism in social?

A
  • In Milgram’s baseline study, he reduces the behaviour of obedience down to one word pairing task between the learner and the teacher and one measurable variable.
  • This was the voltage of the highest switch that they pressed.
  • This shows the EXPERIMENTAL REDUCTIONISM in standardised procedures and artificial results.
  • On the other hand, it means that the results were objective.
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9
Q

What is another example of reductionism in social?

A
  • When the agentic shift occurs, humans go from the autonomous state to the agentic state.
  • This is seen in Milgram’s study as the participants are in the agentic state when they are doing the experiment. - - - This is an example of MACHINE REDUCTIONISM because it is explained that it happens automatically and ignores the idea of free will or individual differences in personality.
  • however it makes it more simple to measure
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10
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in social?

A
  • A benefit of using machine reductionism is that it makes it EASIER TO MEASURE the behaviour of obedience as it simplifies this.
  • This means that we can look at obedience as a whole as it makes It LESS COMPLEX
    A benefit of experimental reductionism is that it makes the results MORE OBJECTIVE and easier to measure.
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11
Q

What is an example of holism in social psychology?

A
  • A more holistic approach in social psychology is SOCIAL IMPACT THEORY
  • it looks at multiple different factors that can influence obedience and how much impact each of these factors has.
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12
Q

COGNITIVE

What is an example of reductionism in cognitive?

A
  • In cognitive psychology MACHINE REDUCTIONISM is used and can be seen in the MSM which has three different stores as well as the duration, capacity and encoding of the stores, which can relate to a computer and its hard drive.
  • This reduces processes in the human brain to computer processes and doesn’t take into account other factors that influence memory.
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13
Q

What is another example of reductionism in cognitive?

A
  • In studies in cognitive psychology EXPERIMENTAL REDUCTIONISM is used. - For example, in the Sebastian and Hernandez Gill’s study the short term memory and digit span is reduced down to a test of lists of digits. - However, an issue with this is that it LACKED MUNDANE REALISM as the task is not one you would use digit span for.
    Memory as a whole is hard to study and it not very reliable so it is studied in parts.
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14
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in cognitive?

A
  • A benefit of using machine reductionism is that it makes it EASIER TO MEASURE memory and understand as it simplifies this.
  • This means that we can look at obedience as a whole as it makes It less complex.
  • A benefit of experimental reductionism is that it makes the results MORE OBJECTIVE and easier to measure.
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15
Q

What is an example of holism in cognitive psychology?

A
  • NEUROPHYSIOLOGY looks at how
    different parts of the brain relate
    to memory in real life, which
    overlooks the brain as holistic
    processor.
  • Also, the WMM looks at multiple parts of the STM
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16
Q

BIOLOGICAL

What is an example of reductionism in biological?

A
  • MACHINE REDUCTIONISM
  • It breaks behaviour (emotion and anger) into parts.
  • This is reductionist because it is not looking at the brain as a whole but instead different parts.
  • This is also seen in the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex which are studied for aggression, not the whole brain.
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17
Q

What is another example of reductionism in biological?

A
  • BIOLOGICAL REDUCTIONISM is seen in natural selection and evolution
  • This is reducing the behaviour of aggression down to how we have evolved and changed on a physical level when in fact aggression could also be due to factors such as social learning theory as aggressive behaviour can be observed and reproduced.
  • ANIMAL REDUCTIONISM is also seen in biological psychology
  • In Wagner et al’s study of rats.
18
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in biological?

A
  • It is MORE ETHICAL to do these studies on animals than humans.
  • For example, with Wagner et al, it is more ethical to castrate a mouse than a human.
  • In addition, animals reach maturity quickly which means that it is easier to study/test developmental psychology in animals than humans.
  • Biological reductionism makes it EASIER TO MEASURE
19
Q

What is an example of holism in biological psychology?

A
  • Single genes are tracked to see
    their function as a whole in different behaviours
  • This is more holistic than tracking one area of the brain.
20
Q

LEARNING

What is an example of reductionism in learning?

A

In learning theories, we see ENVIRONMENTAL REDUCTIONISM because complex behaviours broken down into a simple stimulus and response.
- Looking at a stimulus and seeing
the effect on the response, for example in classical conditioning
- Not focusing on the cognitive processes between the stimulus and the response is a reductionist approach

21
Q

What is another example of reductionism in learning?

A
  • There is ANIMAL REDUCTIONISM
  • For example, with Pavlov’s study they just studied how the stimulus of the buzzer (for example), elicited a response in the dog (salivation) and didn’t consider any of the cognitive processes that may have occurred as well.
  • This means that we were looking at classical conditioning in dogs and not humans
22
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in learning?

A
  • A strength of environmental reductionism is that it MAKES COMPLEX BEHAVIOURS SIMPLER to understand and measure
  • you are looking for a stimulus and a response and you CAN MEASURE that response.
  • It is MORE ETHICAL to do these studies on animals than humans.
22
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in learning?

A
  • A strength of environmental reductionism is that it MAKES COMPLEX BEHAVIOURS SIMPLER to understand and measure
  • you are looking for a stimulus and a response and you CAN MEASURE that response.
23
Q

What is an example of holism in learning theories?

A
  • Systematic desensitisation could be seen to treat the whole person (and therefore more holistic).
  • They can build a way of relaxing and there are also cognitive ways of relaxing.
  • It is the individuals tailored therapy and cannot have related to everyone around, which makes it also holistic.
24
Q

SOCIAL - SHERIF

What is an example of reductionism in Sherif?

A
  • EXPERIMENTAL REDUCTIONISM
  • This study reduced the rise in prejudice to being just about competition and limited resources
  • They didn’t consider any personality differences and reduced behaviour down.
25
Q

What is another example of reductionism in Sherif?

A
  • ENVIRONMENTAL REDUCTIONISM
  • This is because they broke down the behaviour of prejudice to a simple stimulus of competition to see the response of hostility and prejudice
26
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in Sherif?

A
  • A benefit of experimental reductionism is that it makes the results MORE OBJECTIVE and easier to measure.
  • By only looking at competition they could try and make links between what competition they were given and instances of prejudice.
  • A strength of environmental reductionism is that it MAKES COMPLEX BEHAVIOURS SIMPLER to understand and measure
  • you are looking for a stimulus and a response and you CAN MEASURE that response.
27
Q

What is an example of holism in Sherif?

A

The fact that it was a field experiment provided a less controlled environment and therefore was a more holistic approach as they could watch the boys’ social interactions in their natural environment.

28
Q

COGNITIVE - BADDELEY

What is an example of reductionism in Baddeley?

A
  • EXPERIMENTAL REDUCTIONISM
  • This study reduces semantic LTM recall and acoustic STM recall down to lists of 10 words and 4 conditions.
  • It is also a lab experiment, so it is very controlled and other social and cognitive processes are not considered.
29
Q

What is another example of reductionism in Baddeley?

A
  • There is also MACHINE REDUCTIONISM
  • It is suggesting that we just more information from one store of information to another like a computer, failing to take into account the complexity of the influences on memory.
  • No social factors are taken into account
30
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in Baddeley?

A
  • A benefit of using machine reductionism is that it makes it EASIER TO MEASURE memory and the STM and LTM as it simplifies this.
  • A benefit of experimental reductionism is that it makes the results MORE OBJECTIVE and easier to measure.
31
Q

What is an example of holism in Baddeley?

A
  • This is not a holistic study because it takes place in a lab which means that it is a very controlled environment.
  • This means that only one specific cognitive process is being observed, not memory as a whole.
32
Q

BIOLOGICAL - RAINE

What is an example of reductionism in Raine?

A
  • In this study we see BIOLOGICAL REDUCTIONISM
  • In this experiment Raine reduces aggression in murderers to abnormalities in brain structure. (Lower glucose metabolism in lateral and medial PFC).
  • However, he doesn’t take into account other explanations for aggression e.g., social
33
Q

What is another example of reductionism in Raine?

A
  • There is also EXPERIMENTAL REDUCTIONISM
  • In PET scans because the brain is active at the time that it is studied.
  • Just processing at the time is being studied, not in real life situations and natural situations.
34
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in Raine?

A
  • A strength of biological reductionism is that if it is reduced down to a physical level, e.g., differences in brain structure, can be tested.
  • This way we can collect quantitative data on the differences. It SIMPLIFIES THE BEHAVIOUR and makes it easier to measure.
  • A benefit of experimental reductionism is that it makes the results MORE OBJECTIVE and easier to measure.
35
Q

What is an example of holism in Raine?

A
  • This is not a holistic study because it takes place in a lab which means that it is a very controlled environment.
  • This means that the brain and brain abnormalities are being studied and not aggression as a whole within the murderers.
36
Q

LEARNING - WATSON AND RAYNER

What is an example of reductionism in Watson and Rayner?

A
  • In this study we see ENVIRONMENTAL REDUCTIONISM
  • They reduce phobias to simple building blocks of stimulus and response associations.
  • They are reducing a complex behaviour to essentially classical conditioning. Phobias are reduced to single instances of learning (cc).
37
Q

What is another example of reductionism in Watson and Rayner?

A
  • MACHINE REDUCTIONISM
  • This removes focus on any brain functioning and also did not consider operant conditioning or any social learning explanations
  • They are making simple associations like a computer and considering the complexity of human behaviour
38
Q

What are the benefits of using these types of reductionism in Watson and Rayner?

A
  • A strength of environmental reductionism is that it MAKES COMPLEX BEHAVIOURS SIMPLER to understand and measure (e.g. phobias)
  • you are looking for a stimulus and a response and you CAN MEASURE that response. (by the reaction of Little Albert)
  • A benefit of using machine reductionism is that it makes it EASIER TO MEASURE phobias as it simplifies this.
39
Q

What is an example of holism in Watson and Rayner?

A
  • This is not a holistic study because it takes place in a lab which means that it is a very controlled environment.
  • This means that only simple S-R associations are being studied and not brain functioning and social explanations.

Psychology (10 decks)

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