Holism vs Reductionism
Holism
- Only makes sense to study something as a whole system (indivisible) rather than its
constituent parts
- Looks at system as a whole, any attempt to subdivide behaviour or experience is
inappropriate
- Knowing about the individual parts does nothing to tell us about the fundamental
essence of a person or behaviour
- HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY = focuses on human experience of an individual which
cannot be reduced, eg biological units of genes
Reductionism
- Human behaviour is best understood by studying its smallest constituent parts
- Aim to analyse behaviour by breaking it down into its constituent parts
- Based on principle of PARSIMONY – all phenomena should be explained using the
most simple (lowest level) principles
- Reductionist explanations can be put on a continuum as some are more reductionist
than others
Reductionism: Levels of explanation eg OCD
- 6 levels on a CONTINUIM:
1. Socio-cultural level
2. Psychological level
3. Physical level
4. Environmental level
5. Physiological level
6. Neurochemical level
Biological reductionism = explanation of behaviour in terms of its basic physiological
components
- Explains behaviour using biological systems
- 4 most reductionist levels of explanation are biological
- Could be genetics, physiology of the body or brain or biochemistry
- Evolutionary explanations. Based on idea that those genes that determine behaviour
is most likely to lead to successful survival and reproduction are selected for
- Reductionist because they do not take into account higher levels of explanation eg
learned associations and influence of other people
Environmental Reductionist = explanation of behaviour in terms of learned stimulus
and response associations
- Behaviourist approach is built on this, assuming all behaviour is learnt via interaction
with environment
- Reductionist since it simplifies behaviour to a stimulus response action
- Learning via condition
- Eg learning theory of attachment
, Nature vs Nurture
Interactionist approach
- Explaining behaviour or its development through a combination of factors (biological
and psychological). They combine/interact in a way which could not be predicted by
either approach individually
Gene-environment interaction
- Suggests our genes may influence our environment as well as our behaviour, people
may react to us because of the way we look, or we may choose something because
of the way our genes predispose us to prefer it, there are 3 types:
Passive relationship
- Parents pass on certain genes, but also provide the environment in which those
genes can best develop
Evocative relationship
- Genes may predispose individuals to behave in a particular way that elicit behaviours
and responses from those around them
Active relationship
- Individuals with certain genetic predispositions seek out experiences related to those
preferences
Kagan
- Proposed baby’s innate personality also affects attachment relationship
- Nature (temperament) creates nurture (parental response)
- Interaction between environment and heredity
- Example of evocative relationship
Diathesis Stress Model
- Suggests behaviour is caused by biological vulnerability which is only expressed when
coupled with an environmental trigger and vica versa
- Biological explanations of OCD:
- Someone may inherit a genetic vulnerability to OCD but not express the gene for it
eg SERT
- Combined with stressor eg traumatic experience, disorder may appear
Epigentics
- Ridley argues, via epigenetics, genes are sometimes activated by environmental
factors, and that there are triggers on DNA that switch the genes on or off
- Suggests nurture plays an important role in development
- Epigentic changes are reversible, and don’t alter the DNA sequence, but can change
how the body responds to a DNA sequence
- Can impact DNA of our children, adds element of Life Experiene of Previous
generations to the debate
Holism
- Only makes sense to study something as a whole system (indivisible) rather than its
constituent parts
- Looks at system as a whole, any attempt to subdivide behaviour or experience is
inappropriate
- Knowing about the individual parts does nothing to tell us about the fundamental
essence of a person or behaviour
- HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY = focuses on human experience of an individual which
cannot be reduced, eg biological units of genes
Reductionism
- Human behaviour is best understood by studying its smallest constituent parts
- Aim to analyse behaviour by breaking it down into its constituent parts
- Based on principle of PARSIMONY – all phenomena should be explained using the
most simple (lowest level) principles
- Reductionist explanations can be put on a continuum as some are more reductionist
than others
Reductionism: Levels of explanation eg OCD
- 6 levels on a CONTINUIM:
1. Socio-cultural level
2. Psychological level
3. Physical level
4. Environmental level
5. Physiological level
6. Neurochemical level
Biological reductionism = explanation of behaviour in terms of its basic physiological
components
- Explains behaviour using biological systems
- 4 most reductionist levels of explanation are biological
- Could be genetics, physiology of the body or brain or biochemistry
- Evolutionary explanations. Based on idea that those genes that determine behaviour
is most likely to lead to successful survival and reproduction are selected for
- Reductionist because they do not take into account higher levels of explanation eg
learned associations and influence of other people
Environmental Reductionist = explanation of behaviour in terms of learned stimulus
and response associations
- Behaviourist approach is built on this, assuming all behaviour is learnt via interaction
with environment
- Reductionist since it simplifies behaviour to a stimulus response action
- Learning via condition
- Eg learning theory of attachment
, Nature vs Nurture
Interactionist approach
- Explaining behaviour or its development through a combination of factors (biological
and psychological). They combine/interact in a way which could not be predicted by
either approach individually
Gene-environment interaction
- Suggests our genes may influence our environment as well as our behaviour, people
may react to us because of the way we look, or we may choose something because
of the way our genes predispose us to prefer it, there are 3 types:
Passive relationship
- Parents pass on certain genes, but also provide the environment in which those
genes can best develop
Evocative relationship
- Genes may predispose individuals to behave in a particular way that elicit behaviours
and responses from those around them
Active relationship
- Individuals with certain genetic predispositions seek out experiences related to those
preferences
Kagan
- Proposed baby’s innate personality also affects attachment relationship
- Nature (temperament) creates nurture (parental response)
- Interaction between environment and heredity
- Example of evocative relationship
Diathesis Stress Model
- Suggests behaviour is caused by biological vulnerability which is only expressed when
coupled with an environmental trigger and vica versa
- Biological explanations of OCD:
- Someone may inherit a genetic vulnerability to OCD but not express the gene for it
eg SERT
- Combined with stressor eg traumatic experience, disorder may appear
Epigentics
- Ridley argues, via epigenetics, genes are sometimes activated by environmental
factors, and that there are triggers on DNA that switch the genes on or off
- Suggests nurture plays an important role in development
- Epigentic changes are reversible, and don’t alter the DNA sequence, but can change
how the body responds to a DNA sequence
- Can impact DNA of our children, adds element of Life Experiene of Previous
generations to the debate
