holism and reductionism - issues and debates

Whats reductionism

• trying to explain complex behaviours using the component parts that make them up (single variable cause)

• Reducing explanations into simplest form

• E.g stating SZ is caused by an excess of dopamine receptors

• Works on the idea of parsimony : science favours the simplest explanation - when there’s multiple explanations for an event the simplest one is preferable

Levels of explanation

• suggests there’s different ways of viewing the same phenomena in psych

• Reductionist app argues explanations begin at the highest levels and progressively reduce to consider behaviours at component elements

• Highest levels - most holistic - cultural and social explanations of how our social group affects our behaviour

• Middle level - psychological explanations of behaviour like cognitions and emotions

• Lowest level - most reductionist like biological explanations - genes , hormones

Whats biological reductionism

• explaining human behaviour by using biological systems like genetics, brain structure and neurochemistry

• In terms of levels of explanations = bio reductionism is the most reductionist (so lower level)

• A biological reductionist measure can be monitoring and recording brain activity using fMRI’s to assess localisation of function in the brain

• Language can be reduced to structure in the brain - Broca’s and Wernickes’ - but holistic could state education, social class and family influence could affect ability

• Cause of OCD can be reduced to the role of a damaged caudate nucleus creating a ‘worry circuit’ in the brain but holism suggests stress and trauma plays a role

Whats environmental reductionism

• seen in the levels of explanation as psychological exlanations

• Reductionist as it simplifies a behaviour to a stimulus response action like seen in classical conditioning

• E.g snake phobia can be explained as learned through experience of a snake bite, but fear and pain are associated with the snake so they will in future avoid snakes

• 2 measures : using experiments such as skinners lab experiments of rats and pigeons and using controlled observations like Little Albert’s study

Interactionist perspective

• be more holistic and recognise a behaviour may have multiple different causes for different people

• E.g snake phobia could be triggered from a traumatic event with a snake , the result of evolution (snakes = deadly so it’s advantageous for us to fear and avoid them)

Ao3 for bio reductionism = precise

• Stating behaviour is always the result of physiological processes and structures like OCD due to damaged caudate nucleus = effectively measured using fMRI

• reductionist apps = considered more scientific and allows for creation of nomothetic laws

• Tend to follow principle of parsimony - ideas to be kept as simple as possible

• Much easier to see one variable affecting another compared to varied variables interacting with other variables = bio reductionist approach is useful in understanding behaviour, useful to society

Ao3 for bio reductionism = generate useful bio treatments

• eg reducing explanation for development of SZ down to activity of dopamine, able to produce antipsychotic mediations that have seen great success

• These practical apps show reductionist approaches can have useful impacts upon society esp with mental illnesses

• Holistic approaches have benefits but reductionist approaches can produce treatments quicker

• Positive tangible effects in society esp in treatment of those with psychiatric conditions like SZ

Ao3 for holism - not considered scientific

• explanations become vague as they became more complex

• E.g humanistic approach attempts to provide more holistic view of human behaviour and tends to be criticised for lack of empirical evidence

• Instead seen by many as a rather loose set of intangible concepts like self actualisation and congruence

• Suggests psychologists need to ensure they’re taking into account different factors that can cause behaviour but in a measurable and falsifiable way to maintain credibility

2 types of reductionism

• bio reductionism

• Environmental reductionism