Reductionism

• What is reductionism based on?

  Parsimony
• What is parsimony?

  The idea complex phenomena should be explained in the simplest terms
• What is reductionism the belief of?

  Human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into simpler component parts
• What is the behaviourist approach built on?

  Environmental reductionism
• How is the behaviourist approach environmentally deterministic?

  Breaks complex learning into stimulus-response units
• What is biological determinism based on?

  As biological organisms we are made up of physiological structures and processes
• Biological reductionism tends to work backwards
• Which approaches are reductionist?

  Behaviourist

  Social Learning Theory

  Biological

  Cognitive

  Psychodynamic
• What are the 6 levels of reductionism from least reductionist to most?

  Socio-cultural

  Psychological

  Physical

  Environmental

  Physiological

  Neurochemical
• What is the most reductionist level?

  Neurochemical/biological
• What is the least reductionist level?

  Socio-cultural
• Socio-cultural level


  Social relationships and interactions with people
• Psychological level


  Personal experiences; mental state
• Physical level


  Physical behaviour
• Environmental level


  What and how you've learned
• Physiological level


  Localisation of function in the brain
• Neurochemical/biological level


  Chemical and hormones in the brain
• What are the strengths of neurochemical/biological reductionism?

  Scientific

  Easy to replicate

  Allows for successful treatments
• What are the limitations of neurochemical/biological reductionism?

  Too simplistic/incomplete explanation

  Ignores learned behaviours

  Ignores social factors
• What are the strengths of environmental reductionism?

  Parsimony; simple better to understand than complex explanations

  Successfully explains behaviour (phobias)
• What are the limitations of environmental reductionism?

  Too simplistic

  Ignores other factors - focus on learned association
• What is an example that can be understood at different levels?

  OCD