Reductionism Flashcards
What is the A01 - COGNITIVE?
→ humans are reduced to information processors. This leads to machine reductionism. → Case studies more holistic than experiments. → Cognitive psychologists lack at the interactions between networks that have developed rough experience. → Bartlett showed the impact of culture on memory.
What is the A03/strengths - COGNITIVE?
→ By isolating each memory store psychologists can understand how they work independently of each other (looking at different brain areas). → Breaking memory into stores makes it easier to see and explain the different processors. → lab studies can tear individual parts of memory e.g. capacity of STM, aiding understanding. This makes research more objective and valid. → Breaking down memory to 2 processes ( attention and rehearsal) - allows ease of testing e.g. interference task. ADD THE EXAMPLE OF PETERSON AND PETERSON
What is the A03/weaknesses - COGNITIVE?
→ Interactions between
memory units are
overlooked - e.g. how the
VSS an PL interact (via EB?)
→ When studying isolated units,
outside factors (e.g.
environmental & social) are
ignored.
→ Case study method
subjective and biased
→ Lab expts which ignore the
social context of the real
world, fail to consider the
richness and complexity of
the influences on memory
What are the studies to support - COGNITIVE?
→ Baddeley: experimental reductionism. Complex behaviours reduced to a single variable for testing purposes. Operationalise IV and DV. By isolating these variables he can test memory in controlled environment
Whats is the overall Judgement - COGNITIVE?
In light of this, despite
reductionists offering to
preserve the scientific status of
psychology they must be
considered too simplistic in
offering suitable explanations
of complex ideas. However,
that said, by assuming a two
process model of memory
education systems have
benefitted greatly in the
understanding that rehearsal
aids recall and attention aids
STM consolidation. For
instance, classroom practises
prioritise student attention and
homework is a regular
undertaking of students in
order to better test Performance
What is the A01 - BIOLOGICAL?
→ Reductionism applies to biological theories in that they study aspects such as biochemistry, genetics and neuroanatomy.
What is the A03/strengths -BIOLOGICAL?
→ As humans are complex, perhaps studying in a reductionist way is a strength as it enables the study of aspects humans that would otherwise not be reachable and also allows for ease of application. The study of how higher dopamine levels causes schizophrenia allows isolation of single casual factors, allowing for drug treatment to be produced whereby this this single factor is addressed - antipsychotics block dopamine receptors, reducing symptoms.
What is the A03/weaknesses -BIOLOGICAL?
→ Biological psychology ignores the role of the environment factors. For example studying aggression in terms of testosterone ignores the role of learning in the development of aggression. → Pharmacological drug effectiveness offers some support for the biological explanations of mental health. However, it cannot be the whole explanation as my patients are drug witnesses. This shows that a reductionist approach can miss out valuable issues.
What are the studies to support - BIOLOGICAL?
→ Raine reduced criminality to localised
function such as lower activity in the pre-frontal cortex. Holists would argue that the brain functions as a whole and
not as localised functions, therefore, this reductionist approach may over simplify behaviour.
What is the A01 - SOCIAL?
→ Measuring prejudice attitudes using questionnaires reduces to prejudice to self report data and ignores actual observed behaviour . It gives rich in depth data so this lacks detail and is incomplete. →
What are the studies to support - SOCIAL?
→ Sherif et al: experimental reductionism introduced (reducing behaviour to test a variable for the purposes of testing). Variable
What are the studies to support - CLINICAL?
→ Rosehan: considered a range of factors. 12 different hospitals, variety of conditions, by not isolating the experiment by one institution it enabled Rosehan to look at all the factors affecting his results.
