reductionism

Question 1

what is reductionism?

Answer 1

analysing behaviour by breaking it down into constituent parts

Question 2

what is reductionism based on?

Answer 2

the scientific principle of parsimony- that phenomena should be explained using the most basic principles

Question 3

what are the levels of explanation?

Answer 3

socio-cultural context
psychological level
physical level
physiological level
neurochemical level

Question 4

use the levels of explanation to explain OCD

Answer 4

odd or irrational behaviour
obsessive thoughts
actions are repetitive
a hypersensitive basal gland
underproduction of serotonin

Question 5

what is biological reductionism?

Answer 5

the assumptions of the biological approach, in which all behaviour is at first biological

Question 6

what is environmental reductionism?

Answer 6

assumptions of the behavioural approach, there is no cognition in learning and it is simply stimulus-response

Question 7

what is machine reductionism?

Answer 7

assumptions of the cognitive approach, in which we are passive and preprogrammed and emotion does not play a role

Question 8

what are the strengths?

Answer 8

• scientific as they are based on the assumption of parsimony
• can be used to conduct experiments due to isolated variable and observational categories
• useful in the treatment of mental health
• scientific credibility

Question 9

what are the weaknesses?

Answer 9

• oversimplifies the causes of behaviours
• failes to consider the context
• cannot form an entire explanation

Question 10

what is the interactionist approach for holism and reductionism?

Answer 10

different levels of explanation can interact to take a multidisciplinary approach to therapy