Summary
Summary reductionism vs holism
- Course
- Institution
notes on the debate of reductionism vs holism for aqa a level psych
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
lolamcohn
Content preview
Reductionism vs HolismReductionism: explaining and studying a complex behaviour (e.g., SZ) by
social + cultural
breaking it down into its individual parts and studying one part.
- Based on the principle of parsimony (philosophy that the simplest mind
psychological
explanation is the best)
cognition
- Often a reductionist explanation is known as the lowest level of
explanation (tends to be biological explanation e.g., explaining SZ as bio
being caused by neurotransmitters)
- Middle level of explanation environmental reductionism and
cognitive reductionism
- Highest level of explanation is social and cultural explanation
- Psychology itself can be seen as a hierarchy of science (sociology, psychology, biology,
chemistry, and physics)
- Reductionism suggests that lower-level explanations will eventually replace higher level
explanations
-
Levels of explanation
Highest level – cultural and social explanations of behaviour e.g., depression being explained by
a withdrawal from social activities, low energy levels and insomnia, which is viewed as odd by
society
Middle level – psychological explanations of behaviour e.g., depression being explained by
Beck’s negative triad (negative self-schemas, faulty information processing)/ Ellis’ ABC model
(activating event, irrational belief, emotional/ behavioural consequence)
Lower level – biological explanations of behaviour e.g., depression being explained by action of
candidate genes controlling efficiency of synaptic serotonin transport/ neural factors (abnormal
functioning of left Para hippocampal gyrus and lateral frontal lobes)
OCD LEVELS OF EXPLANATION
Socio-cultural level – OCD disrupts social relationships.
Psychological level – the person experiences anxiety.
Physical level – the person is compelled to washing hands multiple times.
Environmental/behavioural level – how the person is learning through experience.
Physiological level – there is abnormal functioning in the frontal lobes.
Neurochemical level – there is an underproduction of serotonin. (biological
reductionism)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lolamcohn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.34. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
75759 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now