holism + reductionism

• holism

  argument which proposes that it only makes sense to study an indivisible system rather than its constituent parts

  looks at a system as a whole and sees attempts to subdivide behaviour + experience into smaller parts as inappropriate
• reductionism

  belief that human behaviour is best understood by studying the smaller constituent parts.

  based on the scientific principle of parsimony - all phenomena should be explained using simplest principles
• levels of explanation in psychology

  each level is more reductionist than the one before

  • socio-cultural level
  • psychological level
  • physical level
  • environmental/behavioural level
  • physiological level
  • neurochemical level

  each level is more reductionist than the one before
• biological reductionism

  form of reductionism which attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological level

  includes neurochemical and physiological levels, evolutionary and genetic influences.

  believes all behaviour is biological at some level
• environmental reductionism

  explains all behaviour in terms of stimulus-responses that have been learned through experience and interactions with the environment
• limitation of holism - lacks practical value

  Holism accounts of human behaviour become hard to use as they become more complex.

  can present researchers with a practical dilemma.

  e.g. if we accept there are many different factors that contribute to depression it becomes difficult to know which is the most influential. leads to difficulty knowing what to base therapy on.
• strength of reductionist approaches (limit of holism) - scientific approach

  reductionist approaches often form the basis of a scientific approach

  to conduct controlled research, you need to operationalise the variables and break target behaviours down into constituent parts.

  this makes it possible to conduct experiments + observations in an objective way.

  e.g. the Strange Situation.

  gives psychology greater credibility.
• counterpoint - reductionist approaches

  reductionist approaches have been accused of oversimplifying complex phenomena, leading to reduced validity.

  explanations that operate at the level of the gene or neurotransmitter do not include analysis of the social context which is where behaviour may derive it's meaning.

  suggest reductionism only forms part of an explanation
• limitation of reductionism - higher level

  some behaviours can only be understood at a higher level.

  often, aspects of social behaviour only emerge within a group context.

  e.g. effects of conformity to social roles in the Stanford Prison study couldn't be understood by observing the participants as individuals.

  There is no conformity gene so social processes can only be explained at the level they occur.