A03

• strength- consistent with scientific approach

  • aims to be able to predict and control behaviour- reductionism allows for this
  • component parts easily manipulated and measured in controlled lab environment eg brain scans used to test for excess dopamine in SZ- allowing cause and effect relationships and standardisation of procedures
  • raising the scientific credibility of psychology
• strength-practical application

  • drug therapy
  • A reductionist approach towards researching and explaining mental disorders has led to the development of effective drug therapies e.g., SSRIs to treat depression, based on the view that a deficiency in serotonin causes depression (biological reductionism).
  • This also reduces need for institutionalisation, where sufferers can continue with their day to day lives using non-invasive treatment and without regular hospital visits. Therefore, reductionist approaches have had a positive impact on people’s lives
  • also improved QOL- BENEFIT ECONOMY
• Limitation- ignores complexity of behaviour

  • Reductionist explanations may lead to a loss of validity because they ignore the social context where behaviour occurs, which often gives behaviour its meaning.
  • For example, from a reductionist viewpoint, the act of speaking would be the same across all scenarios due to everyone having the same biological mechanism for this.
  • However, this ignores the social context of this speaking, such as with the aim of alerting someone, voicing an opinion etc. Therefore, reductionist explanations may simplify complex phenomena too much.