Reductionist

Question 1

Biological Approach:

Answer 1

Reductionist
* - Breaks behaviours eg agg and emotions eg anger down into parts eg impulsive agg.
* - Looks at specific areas of brain related to agg eg limbic system and PFC
* - Therefore not look brain as whole or environment but at specific behaviour ie agg and how parts of brain relate to it

Less Reductionist
* - Evidence of epigenetic modification - genes influenced by the environment eg agg against threat to protect offspring
* - Therefore looks at behaviour ie agg but considers both certain genes and influence of social/environmental factors as well as bio

Reductionist
* - In studies eg Raine used PET scans AO1
* - Therefore only impact of amygdala, PFC, limbic without considering influence of social factors or hormones on murderers behaviour

Less Reductionist
* - Studies began to look at test/cortisol ratio - found the 2 r linked and drew on role of NT serotonin
* Therefore more holistic - considers influence of both hormones and NT in human agg

Question 2

Social Approach

Answer 2

Reductionist
* - Eg milgram - controlled environment, scripted prods eg ‘please continue’
* - Therefore behaviour broken down into measurable parts and he did not take into account other factors of obedience

Less Reductionist
* - Milgram did variation studies look at different factors eg gender, proximity and status
* Therefore looks at lots of factors that influence people’s behaviour in order to give more holistic view on obedience

Question 3

Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 3

Reductionist
* - Eg freud research Oedipus complex focused on lots of individual case studies and ignored eg children who are adoptees or only have single parents
* - Therefore doesn’t look at how the OC presents itself in all children

Less Reductionist
* - Freud studied all aspects of parents histories, as far back as childhood
* Therefore he could give more holistic view on a persons unconscious and factors that may affect it throughout a patients life and experiences