Holistic vs Reductionism

• Holism - Humanistic approach

  • behaviour is affected by our own subjective experiences, take multiple variables into account
  • only understood on an individual level
  • focuses on the whole system or person
  • humans are unique and motivated to achieve full potential - not reaching congruence results in disorder
• Reductionism - levels of explanation (Rose)

  • range of explanations from most reductionist to most holistic
  • molecular - cellular - parts of individual - behaviour of individual - behaviour of groups
• Reductionism = explain at basic level

  Biological reductionism - (bio approach)

  • internal
  • genetics, neurochem, brain structure, evolution
  • predisposed

  Environmental reductionism - (behavioural)

  • blank slate, no predisposed
  • learned via environment

  Experimental reductionism - (all of experimental psych)

  • based on cause and effect
  • can be objectively tested by manipulating the IV
• Holism

  • acknowledges complex interactions
  • understands behaviour in context and reasoning
  • understand on more appropriate level

  Reductionism

  • smaller simpler aspects
  • adds weight to scientific research
  • focuses on basic components (objective)
• AO3

  • holism can explain complex elements of behaviour - explains behaviour in context e.g. prisoners in zimbardo
  • reductionism oversimplifies - reduces depression down to biological factors but also led to treatment
  • interactionist approach - diathesis stress model explaining Sz.