reductionism and holism
What reductionism and holism means in Psychology A-Level, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of reductionism and holism
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Reference: AQA
Biology reduces behaviour to genes and neurotransmitters and behaviourism to stimulus and response, while humanistic psychology insists on the whole person.
A debate contrasting breaking down with viewing the whole, where holism embraces complexity and reductionism simplifies.
Topics that use reductionism and holism
- Approaches in Psychology (AQA A-Level)
- Section B: Areas, perspectives and debates (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- nature and nurture
- the unconscious mind
- Behaviourism
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Computer models
- Conditions of worth
- environmental and psychic determinism
- Evolution
Using reductionism and holism in the exam
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