Holism & Reductionism

• What does holism propose about studying systems?

  Study an indivisible system, not parts
• What do humanistic psychologists focus on?

  Individual's experience, not reducible
• What methods do humanistic psychologists use to investigate the self?

  Qualitative methods analyzing themes
• What is reductionism in psychology?

  Understanding behavior by studying smaller parts
• What are the five levels of reductionism?

  • Sociological
  • Psychological
  • Biological
  • Chemical
  • Physical
• What is biological reductionism?

  Explaining behavior at the lowest biological level
• What does biological reductionism include?

  Neurochemical, physiological, evolutionary influences
• What is environmental reductionism?

  Explaining behavior through learned stimulus-response links
• Which approach is built on environmental reductionism?

  The Behaviourist approach
• What are the evaluations of reductionism?

  • Scientific Approach: Enables controlled research
  • Too Simple: Oversimplifies complex phenomena
  • Practical Value: Holistic accounts can be complex
• Why is the scientific approach important in psychology?

  It allows objective and reliable research
• What is a criticism of reductionist approaches?

  They oversimplify complex phenomena, reducing validity
• What do explanations at the gene level lack?

  Analysis of social context of behavior
• What dilemma do holistic accounts present researchers?

  Identifying the most influential factors
• What is a limitation of holistic accounts in treatment?

  They may lack practical value due to complexity
• Why can't some social behaviors be understood individually?

  They emerge only in group contexts
• What does the Stanford Prison Experiment illustrate?

  Importance of group interaction in behavior
• What do higher level explanations provide for some behaviors?

  A more valid account than individual analysis
• What is a strength for Reductionism?

  Scientific Approach

  • In order to conduct well-controlled research, variables need to be operationalised to be studied; breaking behaviour into its constituent parts
  • This makes it possible to conduct experiments or record observations in a way that is objective and reliable 
  • This scientific approach gives psychology greater credibility, placing it on equal terms with the natural sciences
• What is a limitation for Reductionism?

  Too Simple

  • Reductionist approaches have been accused of oversimplifying complex phenomena, reducing its validity
  • Explanations that operate at the level of the gene or neurotransmitter do not include an analysis of the social context within which behaviour occurs 
  • This suggests that a reductionist approach can only ever form part of an explanation
• What is a limitation for Holism?

  Practical Value

  • Holistic accounts of human behaviour tend to become hard to use as they become more complex, which can present researchers with a practical dilemma
  • If we accept that, from a humanistic perspective, there are many factors that contribute to a disorder, it is difficult to tell which is the most influential, which then makes it difficult to know which to prioritise when treating
  • This suggests that holistic accounts may lack practical value
• What is a limitation for Reductionism?

  Higher Level

  • Often there are aspects of social behaviour that only emerge within a group context and can not be understood in terms of the individual group members
  • The effects of conformity to social roles in the prisoners and guards in the Stanford Prison Experiment could not be understood by observing the participants as individuals , as it was the interaction between people and the behaviour of the group that was important
  • This suggests that, for some behaviours, higher level explanations provide a more valid account