Holism and reductionism

• What is holism?

  Behaviour can only be understood by analysing the person/ behaviour as a whole
• What is reductionism?

  Behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into constituent parts
• What are the levels of explanation in psychology?

  - social-cultural context

  - psychological level

  - physical level

  - physiological level

  - neurochemical level (most reductionist)
• What is biological reductionism?

  Explain social and psychological phenomena at a lower biological level
• What is environmental reductionism?

  Explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through experience.