Discuss reductionism versus holism with reference to topics that are covered on the
specification. 16 marks.
Firstly, holism is an argument or theory which proposes that it only makes sense to study an
indivisible system rather than its constituent parts (which is the reductionist approach). It
looks at a system as a whole. Humanistic psychology focuses on the individual’s experience,
which is not something that can be reduced to, for example, biological units. Humanistic
psychologists use qualitative methods to investigate the self whereby themes are analysed
rather than breaking the concept into component behaviours.
Reductionism is the opposite of holism. It seeks to analyse behaviour by breaking it down
into its constituent parts. It is based on the scientific principle of parsimony – that all
phenomena should be explained using the simplest (lowest levels) principles. There are
different levels of explanation in psychology, some are more reductionist than others. For
example, OCD may be understood at a physical level (movements, such as washing ones
hands), psychological level (abnormal functioning in the frontal lobes) or a neurochemical
level (underproduction of serotonin) etc. There is a debate over which of these provide the
‘best’ explanation for OCD.
Psychology can be placed in a hierarchy of science. Researchers who favour reductionism
would see psychology as ultimately being replaced by explanations derived from those
sciences lower down in the hierarchy.
Lastly, there are two types of reductionism. Biological reductionism is a form of reductionism
which attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological levels (in terms of the actions
of genes or hormones). Environmental (stimulus-response) reductionism is the attempt to
explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through
experience.
One limitation of the holism approach is that it may lack practical value. Holistic accounts of
human behaviour tend to become hard to use as they become more complex. This can
present researchers with a practical dilemma. If we accept, from a humanistic perspective,
that there are many different factors that contribute to depression then it becomes difficult
to know which is the most influential. It is then difficult to know what to prioritise as the
basis of therapy, for instance. This suggests that holistic accounts may lack practical value
(whereas reductionist accounts may be better).
Furthermore, one strength of reductionist approaches (and a limitation of the holistic
approach) is that they often form the basis of a scientific approach. IN order to conduct well-
controlled research we need to operationalise the variables to be studies – breaking down
target behaviours into constituent parts. This makes it possible to conduct experiments or
record observations (behavioural categories) in a way that is objective and reliable. For
example, research on attachment (the Strange Situation) operationalised component
behaviours such as separation anxiety. This approach give psychology greater credibility.
On the other hand, reduction approaches have been accused of oversimplifying complex
phenomena, leading to reduces validity. Biological explanations do not include an analysis of
specification. 16 marks.
Firstly, holism is an argument or theory which proposes that it only makes sense to study an
indivisible system rather than its constituent parts (which is the reductionist approach). It
looks at a system as a whole. Humanistic psychology focuses on the individual’s experience,
which is not something that can be reduced to, for example, biological units. Humanistic
psychologists use qualitative methods to investigate the self whereby themes are analysed
rather than breaking the concept into component behaviours.
Reductionism is the opposite of holism. It seeks to analyse behaviour by breaking it down
into its constituent parts. It is based on the scientific principle of parsimony – that all
phenomena should be explained using the simplest (lowest levels) principles. There are
different levels of explanation in psychology, some are more reductionist than others. For
example, OCD may be understood at a physical level (movements, such as washing ones
hands), psychological level (abnormal functioning in the frontal lobes) or a neurochemical
level (underproduction of serotonin) etc. There is a debate over which of these provide the
‘best’ explanation for OCD.
Psychology can be placed in a hierarchy of science. Researchers who favour reductionism
would see psychology as ultimately being replaced by explanations derived from those
sciences lower down in the hierarchy.
Lastly, there are two types of reductionism. Biological reductionism is a form of reductionism
which attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological levels (in terms of the actions
of genes or hormones). Environmental (stimulus-response) reductionism is the attempt to
explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through
experience.
One limitation of the holism approach is that it may lack practical value. Holistic accounts of
human behaviour tend to become hard to use as they become more complex. This can
present researchers with a practical dilemma. If we accept, from a humanistic perspective,
that there are many different factors that contribute to depression then it becomes difficult
to know which is the most influential. It is then difficult to know what to prioritise as the
basis of therapy, for instance. This suggests that holistic accounts may lack practical value
(whereas reductionist accounts may be better).
Furthermore, one strength of reductionist approaches (and a limitation of the holistic
approach) is that they often form the basis of a scientific approach. IN order to conduct well-
controlled research we need to operationalise the variables to be studies – breaking down
target behaviours into constituent parts. This makes it possible to conduct experiments or
record observations (behavioural categories) in a way that is objective and reliable. For
example, research on attachment (the Strange Situation) operationalised component
behaviours such as separation anxiety. This approach give psychology greater credibility.
On the other hand, reduction approaches have been accused of oversimplifying complex
phenomena, leading to reduces validity. Biological explanations do not include an analysis of
