8.4.2 Biological Reductionism and Environmental Reductionism

• Biological reductionism: this type of reductionism is based on the idea that biological functions and structures can explain behaviours e.g. the dopamine hypothesis explanation of schizophrenia
• Theories and research within the biological approach have a tendency to take a reductionist approach e.g. Siffre’s (1973) cave study which explained circadian rhythms as being the result of endogenous pacemakers rather than on exogenous zeitgebers experienced outside of the body
• Environmental reductionism: this type of reductionism is based on the idea that external forces determine outcomes and behaviour (see the section on determinism for a similar explanation of behaviour)
• The behaviourist approach includes environmental determinism; its emphasis on the stimulus-response dynamic of classical conditioning reduces complex behaviours such as the development of a phobia to a simplistic learning process

Is a purely biological explanation enough to explain a complex condition such as schizophrenia? Or is it overly reductionist?

• Levels of explanation refers to the idea that there are increasingly holistic ways of explaining specific behaviours i.e. from the simplistic to the more complex
• The lowest level of explanation, which is the most reductionist explanation, is the biological e.g. behaviour is a product of genes
• The next level of explanation is based on psychological explanations such as those of the cognitive approach e.g. behaviour is a product of information processing
• The highest level of explanation is based on social and cultural factors e.g. behaviour is based on the influence of upbringing
• There are some researchers and theorists who do not ‘trust’ the higher levels of explanation, preferring a more  parsimonious approach 

Levels of explanation: from the rich, explanatory data of qualitative research down to to increasingly scientific and reductionist methods 

Arguments in support of reductionism

• Taking a reductionist approach can be useful as it helps to isolate key variables e.g. research that has highlighted that the 5HT1-D gene may play a part in the transport of serotonin has helped to inform understanding and treatment of mental illnesses such as OCD
• Breaking down behaviour into its component parts as seen in the behaviourist approach, can help to formulate therapies such as systematic desensitisation (a kind of reverse-conditioning) in the treatment of phobias

Arguments against reductionism

• The reductionist approach can over-simplify complex behaviours e.g. the ‘cupboard love’ theory of attachment is based purely on a conditioned response to being fed rather than on the complex array of factors involved in the development of a child’s attachment to adult caregivers
• Self-report measures such as questionnaires/surveys used to measure stress or personality do not give a full, valid picture of each individual and the various, subjective influences on their stress/personality so such measures could be reductionist unless they are used in conjunction with qualitative research such as interviews

How can a questionnaire adequately express a person’s feelings or attitudes? An interview allows a more holistic approach as it allows the participant to express themselves freely