The Reductionist Approach In Psychology

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Reductionism is the belief that any subject matter in Psychology can be broken down from a complex phenomenon, to its simplest components. Reductionism is sometimes tied in with a concept named Occam’s razor, which is a problem-solving theory whereby the answer to a problem should supposedly be picked by looking at which explanation offers the fewest assumptions. This works by eliminating unnecessary components, only looking in dept at the basic aspects, (Clark, 2007). This idea can be further supported by Morgan’s Canon and the Law Of Parsimony, which states that we should never assume more complexity than is needed, therefore needing to break down behaviour into the simplest explanation, (Dewey, 2007). The reductionist approach does allow for Psychology to appear more scientific, however whether this is the best line of thinking is debatable. This essay will attempt to critically evaluate how effective reductionist approaches, such as Biology and the Social Learning Theory, are when trying to explain the concept of human aggression; to conclude whether reductionism offers a fulfilling enough explanation. Aggression can be defined as “hostile, …show more content…

Social Learning Theory explains that aggression is learnt from other people (usually role models) by observation and imitation. It involves the use of key conditions, such as attention, retention, reproduction and motivation, but the key concept is that all behaviour, including aggression, is learnt. (Bandura, 1977). Social Learning Theory offers a reductionist approach as it states that aggression can only be learnt through interactions with the environment, and through observation and imitation; according to this theory, biological aspects such as genes and hormones do not play a role in whether somebody is or will be

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