holism v reduct

• reductionism : breaking down behaviour into simpler components (bio/ slt/ cog/ behav)

  holism: study of behaviour as a whole (humanistic).
• levels of explanation for behaviour:

  1. biological
  2. psychological
  3. environmental
• $strengths :$

  • high validity (holism)
  • easy to conduct scientific research (reduct)
• $limitations :$

  • impractical in research (holism).
  • lacks validity (reduct).
• gestalt psychologists : "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" - focuses on the perception, only makes sense through consideration as a whole.

  experimental reductionism : complex behaviour reduced to variables (IV/ DV).