reductionism vs holism

    Cards (8)

    • reductionism is the idea that behaviour is explained by breaking it down into smaller parts and then studying these parts
    • holism is the belief that things are best understood as wholes, rather than being broken down into their constituent parts
    • Levels of explanation are used in reductionism to categorise different explanations for reductionism
    • the levels of explanation are sppepn: socio-cultural, psychological, physical, environmental/behavioural, physiological, neurochemical.
    • neurochemical example in OCD: increased serotonin hormone
    • physiological explanation OCD example: basal ganglie and orbitofrontal cortex
    • physical explanation example in OCD: washing hands frequently
    • psychological explanation in OCD: anxiety and fear of being far from house