Holism + reductionism

• Holism + reductionism

  Holism-

  • ‘whole is greater than the sum’ - study of the whole person
  • E.g- humanism- self-actualisation/triad of needs
  • E.g- localisation is wrong- brain works as a whole not individual parts
• Holism + reductionism-

  Reductionism-

  • based on parismony- simplistic form is the best
  • E.g- OCD biological approach - extreme biological reductionism
  • E.g- cognitive neuroscience/reductionism
  • ignores the whole person while reducing behaviours down to their simplest form
• Holism + reductionism-

  Holistic complex levels-

  • sociological- culture or sub-culture
  • psychological- cognitive or conditioned behaviours
  • biological- genetics or brain structures
  • chemical- chemical hormones or enzymes
  • physical- atoms or quantum’s
• Holism + reductionism-

  Reductionism evaluation—

  S- breaks behaviours down into constituent parts and scientifically tests them

  W- may oversimplify behaviours

  W- multiple theories of cognition, but no attempts to combine
• Holism + reductionism-

  Holism- evaluations-

  S- reminder that we are a whole not determined by parts

  S- provides a more complex understanding of behaviours

  W- cant be rigorously or scientifically tested