Holism/reductionism

• Holism


  Proposes that it only makes sense to study an indivisible system rather than its constituent parts
• Reductionism


  The belief that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into smaller constituent parts
• Biological reductionism


  Attempts to explain social and psychological phenomena at a lower biological level (e.g. in terms of the actions of genes and hormones)
• Environmental reductionism 


  Attempts to explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through experience
• What are the levels of explanation?

  Socio-cultural level (Top/most broad)

  Psychological level

  Biological level (Bottom, most precise)
• Strength for holism

  • There are aspects of social behaviour that can only be understood within a group context and not at the level of individual members
  • E.g. Zimbardo's prison study in which conformity to social roles could only be understood with a holistic study of group interactions between the 24 ppts
  • Processes of deindividuation and internalisation could not be understood by studying ppts as separate individuals
  • As a result strength as holistic approaches allow us greater global understanding of social and cultural contexts behind explanations of behaviours and can be used to improve better societal functioning
  • As a result allows a better understanding of interactional processes in which reductionism cannot
• Limitation for holism

  • Scientific testing may be limited and concepts can become vague/abstract
  • E.g. Humanistic psychology /approach
  • Even if it is a more positive approach on developing behaviours within invidiuals and focusing on the subjective experiences, it lacks falsifiability
  • Many concepts derived such as self actualisation, congruency cannot be scientifically tested, as a result reducing the scientific credibility of the approach
  • Additionally may fail to find solutions to psychological problems as root causes may be from a lower, reduced level of explanation, therefore limited practical ability
• Strength for reductionism

  • Forms the basis of scientific research as it focuses on the objective measures of behaviours
  • Allows the operationalisation of variables in which allows the break down of behaviours into constituent parts
  • E.g. studying attachment behaviour resulted the breakdown of behaviours into observable counter parts, such as proximity seeking and stranger anxiety categories to assess attachment
  • As a result, gives psychology greater scientific credibility become on equal footing with natural sciences
  • Shifts psychology away from being seen as a 'pre-science'
• Limitation for reductionism

  • May oversimplify complex phenomena leading to a loss of validity
  • Explanations that operate at a low biological levels of genes/neurons etc ignore social and cultural influences/contexts of behaviours
  • As a result may limit/reduce explanatory ability over development of behaviours or ignore additional psychological factors
  • Ability to explain how but not why which limits our understanding, forming only part of an explanation behind behaviours
  • E.g. OCD being a genetic condition but ignores psychological factors/influences of trauma