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I&D-REDUCTIONISM (What is it? (Reductionism refers to studying…
I&D-REDUCTIONISM
What is it?
Reductionism refers to studying something by looking at parts rather than the whole.
Holism is the idea that various systems should be viewed as wholes, not merely as a collection of parts.
Taking a scientific approach necessarily involves reductionism ; whittling down possibilities to get closer to the truth through the process of hypothetico-deductive reasoning.
COGNITIVE
REDUCTIONIST
The multi-store model explains memory a simplistic processing system of three stores-SR-STM-LTM
MSM ignores the interconnections between each store
Many models of memory in cognitive psychology consider how the brain operates in a similar manner to a computer.
Multi-store model assumes attention and rehearsal is required for memory which is reductionist as it ignores how people recall experiences they have not rehearsed
Research into cognitive psychology often uses simplified tasks, like word lists, which reduce memory to a system of information processing.
WMM reduces STM into 4 separate stores: central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer
HOLISTIC
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The case of HM demonstrated the ability to learn procedural skills without rehearsal, showing that reducing memory to a set of stores is insufficient to explain how all memory works so cognitive psychology should be more holistic.
Bartlett’s (1932) reconstructive memory relies on schemas which come from whole life experience therefore is holistic so not all cognitive psychology can be considered reductionist.
Cognitive psychology also used case studies of brain damaged patients which gather detailed information of the individual as a whole
CONCLUSION
Reductionist explanations can be useful, by reducing complicated concepts to their component parts behaviour can be more easily understood. However, sometimes this offers too much of a simple solution to an otherwise more complicated problem. For example giving anti-depressants to someone who is depressed may seem like an optimal solution, but this may overlook the real problem; such as family problems
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