holism vs reductionism

• holism


  The idea that behaviour can only be understood if you look at the 'whole' person. Breaking behaviour down into smaller components is useless. This view is also shared by the humanist approach. Human behaviour should be viewed as whole integrated experience, and not as separate parts. The whole is greater than the sum of parts.
• reductionism


  believe behaviour is best explained and understood if its broken down into its smaller components. Its based on the scientific principle of parsimony
• principle of parsimony


  all behaviour should be explained using the most simple, basic principle since this is the easiest and most economical explanation
• levels of explanation

  there are different ways we can look at the same behaviour in psychology. Some of these levels are more reductionist than others. An explanation is reductionist if it breaks down behaviour into its simplist constituent parts.
• levels of explanation in OCD

  highest level- OCD involves behaviours that most people would regard as odd.

  middle level- individuals experience repetitive thoughts and compulsive urges.

  lower level- low levels of serotonin in the brain.
• biological reductionism 


  we are biological organisms made up of physiological structures and processes. It assumes that all behaviour is at some level biological and can be explained through genetics, neurochemicals, neurophysiology and evolution.
• examples of biological reductionism in psychology

  Brocas and Wernickes areas. these structures suggests that language production and comprehension is isolated to these 2 areas in the brain. The brain is more complex than this, we know that functions can be recovered through brain plasticity.
• examples of biological reductionism in psychology

  SSRI are used to reduce OCD symptoms. It does not eliminate the symptoms or treat the cause. There are many underlying causes that SSRIs cannot treat.