reductionism

• Reductionism


  Breaks down an explanation down to smallest component part, eg. genes
• Reductionism methods


  Lab experiments, prove cause & effect, high internal validity, replication, scientific, quantitative data Deterministic view of humans
• Main types of reductionism

  Biological & Environmental
• Biological reductionism


  Lower level of explanation
• Environmental reductionism


  Middle level of explanation
• Advantage of taking a biological reductionist approach

  Demonstrates the role of biology, eg. Diamond using a lab experiment was able to demonstrate that gender behaviours were biological after injecting pregnant rats with testosterone, then observing the male related behaviours of their female offspring.
• Biological reductionism topic links

  Schizophrenia -> dopamine hypothesis, genetics, neural correlations Aggression -> serotonin, limbic system
• Disadvantages of taking a reductionist approach

  May lack validity as it ignores higher explanations for gender such as psychological or cultural factors
• Advantages of taking a reductionist approach for explaining schizophrenia

  Powerful & effective drug therapies, antipsychotics/ SSRIs for schizophrenia or depression = reduced need for institutionalisation/ less hospital visits/non-invasive treatments
• Disadvantages of taking a reductionist approach for explaining schizophrenia

  Biological reductionism can lead to errors of understanding as it ignores the complexity of behaviours. To treat certain conditions, eg. schizophrenia with drugs in the belief that the condition consists of nothing more than neurochemical imbalances is to mistake the symptoms of schizophrenia for it's true cause a holistic approach should be taken.
• Advantages of taking an environmental reductionist approach

  Enables psychologists to use lab experiments to gain knowledge about the cause of a behaviour which gives it high internal validity. This empirical data can be falsified. Eg, a reductionist approach was used with Little Albert to demonstrate that phobias are learned via classical conditioning. As a result, effective treatment can be put in placed for patient.
• Disadvantages of taking an environmental reductionist approach

  A holistic approach would see lab experiments as deterministic & prefer the use of case studies.
• Environmental reductionism - topic links

  Schizophrenia -> double bind theory Aggression -> frustration-aggression model, situational factors
• Reductionist summary


  Behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into smaller constituent parts to identify a single cause. Biological (lowest level) Behaviourist (middle level) Cognitive (middle level) Advantages -> Leads to scientific lab experiments identify cause of behaviour which gives it high internal validity & develop PAs. Shown the importance of biological explanations. Disadvantages -> Humans are complex so may not be a single cause. Lab experiments are dehumanising