Complex phenomena broken down into the simplest components and tested for individual elements empirically, based on principle of parsimony
Biological Reductionism
Reduces complex behaviours to basic biological elements e.g. neurotransmitters
Environmental Reductionism
Explains behaviour through simple stimuli-response mechanisms
Holism
Behaviour explanations need to include the whole person of biological, environmental and socio-cultural experiences
Biological reductionism is the most basic explanation, Socio-cultural holism is the most complex explanation
(+/-) A03: Objective vs Subjective
Reductionism is objective as it allows testing of variables in controlled experiments, helping establish causation; Holism is subjective as it takes into account the whole person, it cannot isolate individual variables for empirical testing
(+/-) A03: Treatment Practicality
Reductionism supports the development and empirical testing of drug therapies; Holism supports client-centered therapy, individualised theraputic method that addresses multiple aspects of life
(+/-) A03: Simplistic vs Broad
Reductionism is simplistic, overlooking complex interactions between multiple causes; Holism is broad, overlooking the significance of individual elements
