Psychology A-Level
Reductionism
What Reductionism means in Psychology A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Reductionism
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The scientific approach of explaining complex phenomena (like human aggression) by breaking them down into their simplest, most basic physical components (like genes or neurotransmitters).
The belief that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into smaller constituent parts (e.g., genes or neurotransmitters).
Topics that use Reductionism
- Topic 1: Social psychology (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
- Topic 3: Biological psychology (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Catharsis
- Synaptic Transmission
- Concordance Rate
- Correlation
- Neurotransmitter
- Pre-frontal Cortex
- Prefrontal Cortex
- Spearman's Rho
Using Reductionism in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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