Holism & Reductionism

The holism-reductionism debate concerns the level of explanation that psychology should use to understand behaviour. Should we break behaviour down into its smallest component parts (reductionism), or should we study the whole person in context (holism)? This debate is closely linked to the question of whether psychology should be a science.

Key Definition: Reductionism is the belief that complex phenomena can be explained by breaking them down into simpler, more fundamental components.

Key Definition: Holism is the belief that systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not just collections of parts. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

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Levels of Explanation

Rose (1976) proposed that behaviour can be explained at multiple levels. Each level offers a different type of explanation, and no single level provides a complete account.