Reductionism + Holism

Question 1

Parsimony

Answer 1

the argument that the best explanation is the simplest one that fits the evidence

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

Breaking down complex phenomena into its simplest components before testing the individual elements empirically

Question 3

biological determinism

Answer 3

argued that complex human behaviour can be broken down into basic biological elements
-such as neurotransmitter imbalances for example schizophrenia is associated with a high level of dopamine

Question 4

Environmental reductionism

Answer 4

Argues that behaviour is as a result of stimulus- response mechanisms
-for example becoming a thief in later life due to stealing being positively reinforced in childhood

Question 5

Machine Reductionism

Answer 5

This involves using the analogy of brain function being similar to that of a computer CPU
-It simplifies complex mental processes by ignoring the role of emotions and irrationality
-an example of an oversimplified computational model is the working model of memory

Question 6

Holism

Answer 6

Holism argues that a valid explanation for behavior must include all of an individuals experiences and factors such as biological processes, internal mental processes and the effect of reinforcement and how they interact with each other.

Question 7

Humanism Holism

Answer 7

Humanists take the holism approach as they believe that an individuals thoughts, feelings and experiences are all interconnected
they suggest that an individuals behavior can only be understood by studying the whole human

Question 8

Levels of explanation

Answer 8

Explanations vary from those at a lower level of functioning, focusing on more basic components, to those at a higher, more holistic multivariable level.

Question 9

Explain where all approaches lie on the levels of explanation

Answer 9

-cognitive and social learning theory are somewhat reductionist but are more holistic than the behaviourist approach
-psychodynamic approach is somewhat reductionist as it breaks personality into three parts, but says we need to look at all aspects of behaviour to understand how the parts interact

Question 10

Reductionism A03 positive (drug therapies)

Answer 10

-Supports the development and empirical testing of treatments like drug therapies
-These therapies have helped millions of people manage mental health symptoms by altering neural mechanisms

Question 11

Reductionism A03 positive (scientific)

Answer 11

-Reductionism is considered the scientific approach to explaining human behaviour, as it allows for objective testing of specific variables in a controlled environments, enabling us to establish causation. For example, measurement of neurotransmitters and stimulus response links in Skinners Box experiment.

Question 13

Reductionism A03 negative (overly simplistic)

Answer 13

-Reductionism is overly simplistic, overlooking the complex interactions between multiple causes of behaviour.
-For example, focusing solely on biological aspects may disregard valid, cognitive and social factors

Question 14

Holism A03 positive (Client centred therapy)

Answer 14

-Holism has led to the development of therapeutic approaches such as client centred therapy.
-This aims to provide an alternative for drug therapies as some patients may be immune

Question 15

Holism A03 negative (too broad)

Answer 15

-Holism may overlook significant individual components by focusing too broadly on the whole
-Just as reductionism may miss the broader context by focusing too narrowly on components