Holism Reductionism

• What are the key biases discussed in the recap of I&D?

  • Gender bias (androcentrism and alpha/beta bias)
  • Culture bias (ethnocentrism and cultural relativism)
  • Free will vs determinism
  • Nature vs nurture
• What is the holism and reductionism debate in psychology?

  • Holism: studying an indivisible system as a whole
  • Reductionism: breaking down behavior into smaller parts
  • Levels of explanation: varying from lower (basic components) to higher (holistic)
• What does holism propose in psychology?

  It proposes that behavior and experience can only be understood by analyzing a person or behavior as a whole.
• According to humanistic psychologists, what is important for successful therapy?

  Bringing together all aspects of the 'whole person'
• What does the term "holism" refer to in psychology?

  Holism refers to the idea that behavior should be studied as a whole rather than by breaking it down into parts.
• What does insight learning suggest about problem-solving?

  It suggests that individuals look at all elements of a situation and invent a solution.
• What are the key concepts in the holism and reductionism debate in psychology?

  • Holism: behavior studied as a whole
  • Reductionism: behavior explained by breaking it down into smaller parts
  • Levels of explanation: biological, psychological, and socio-cultural
• Who conducted research on insight learning with chimpanzees?

  Kohler
• What is gender bias in psychology?

  Gender bias refers to the tendency to favor one gender over another in research and theory, often leading to androcentrism or alpha and beta bias.
• What is the belief of reductionism in psychology?

  It is the belief that human behavior is best explained by breaking it down into smaller constituent parts.
• What is the difference between hard determinism and soft determinism?

  Hard determinism suggests that all behavior is predetermined, while soft determinism allows for some degree of free will within constraints.
• What are the levels of explanation in reductionism?

  • Lower level: basic components or units
  • Higher level: holistic multivariable explanations
  • Hierarchy of sciences from least to most reductionist:
  • Sociology
  • Psychology
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
• What does the nature-nurture debate focus on?


  The nature-nurture debate focuses on the relative importance of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) in determining behavior.
• What is the principle of parsimony in reductionism?

  It states that all behavior should be explained using the simplest and easiest explanations.
• What are the types of reductionism in psychology?

  • Biological reductionism: explains behavior in terms of genetic, neurochemical, and physiological mechanisms.
  • Environmental reductionism: explains behavior through simple stimulus-response links learned through experience.
• What is the interactionist approach in the nature-nurture debate?

  It emphasizes the relative importance of heredity and environment in determining behavior.
• What are the ethical implications of research studies in psychology?

  They involve considerations of social sensitivity and the impact of research on participants.
• What is the difference between idiographic and nomothetic approaches?

  Idiographic focuses on individual cases, while nomothetic seeks general laws.
• What is the highest level of explanation in reductionism?

  The highest level of explanation is the holistic level, which considers complex interactions and experiences.
• What is the lowest level of explanation in reductionism?

  The lowest level of explanation is the basic physiological unit level, which focuses on simple biological mechanisms.
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of low and high levels of explanation in psychology?

  Benefits of low levels:

  • Clearly defined variables
  • Allows for operationalization and inference of cause and effect

  
  

  Drawbacks of high levels:

  • Extreme reductionism leads to loss of meaning
  • Components do not reflect the whole experience
• How does the biological approach differ from the humanistic approach in psychology?

  The biological approach focuses on genetic and physiological factors, while the humanistic approach emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization.
• What is the significance of operationalizing variables in psychological research?

  Operationalizing variables allows researchers to define and measure concepts clearly, facilitating the inference of cause and effect.
• What is the impact of social factors on memory according to the psychological level of explanation?

  Social factors can influence memory recall and the accuracy of memories, such as through post-event contamination.