reductionism vs. holism Flashcards
What is reductionism?
breaking behaviour down into small component parts and studying each individual part separately
What is holism?
examining how different factors interact as a whole
What factors does a holistic view take into consideration that reductionists do not?
emergent properties
What is an emergent property?
properties that arise as a result of the interaction of multiple components
What are the two types of reductionism?
1- environmental
2- biological
What is biological reductionism?
the suggestion that a behaviour is a direct result of a single biological component such as low levels of serotonin being the cause of depression
What is environmental reductionism?
the suggestion that environmental factors have direct impact on behaviour such as a stimulus response bond formed by the phobic object and fear response
What are the strengths of reductionism?
- very scientific = accurate and valid measurement
- find causes for behaviour and provide treatment (practical applications)
What are the weaknesses of reductionism?
- over simplistic - ignores complex interactions
- behaviour cannot be predicted - individual differences
What are the strengths of holism?
high in ecological validity - does not rely on artificial settings (reductionist experiments usually take place in high control lab settings)
What are the weaknesses of holism?
overcomplicated and too complex = decrease in reliability
What areas of psychology are reductionist?
- biological area
- behaviourist perspective
- cognitive area
- developmental area
What areas of psychology are holistic?
- psychodynamic perspective
What areas of psychology are neither reductionist or holistic?
- individual differences area
- social area
