Situations where holistic view are adopted
How psychologists use holism to understand behaviorBy Dr. Saul McLeod, updated 2020 OverviewHolism is often referred to as Gestalt psychology. It argues that behavior cannot be understood in terms of the components that make them up. This is commonly described as ‘the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.’ In other words human behavior has its own properties that are not explicable in terms of the properties of the elements from which it is derived. A holistic approach therefore suggests that there are different levels of explanation and that at each level there are “emergent properties” that cannot be reduced to the one below. Holistic approaches include Humanism, Social and Gestalt psychology and makes use of the case study method. Jahoda’s 6 elements of Optimal Living are an example of a holistic approach to defining abnormality. Reductionist explanations, which might work in some circumstances, are considered inappropriate to the study of human subjectivity because here the emergent property that we have to take account of is that of the “whole person”. Otherwise it makes no sense to try to understand the meaning of anything that anybody might do. Examples of Holism in Psychology
Strengths • Looks at everything that may impact on behavior. • Does not ignore the complexity of behavior. • Integrates different components of behavior in order to understand the person as a whole. • Can be higher in ecological validity. Limitations • Over complicates behaviors which may have simpler explanations (Occam’s Razor). • Does not lend itself to the scientific method and empirical testing. • Makes it hard to determine cause and effect. • Neglects the importance of biological explanations. • Almost impossible to study all the factors that influence complex human behaviors How to reference this article:McLeod, S. A. (2020). What is holism. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/holism.html Home | About Us | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact Us Simply Psychology's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. © Simply Scholar Ltd - All rights reserved Recommended textbooks for you arrow_back_iosarrow_forward_ios Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition) Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White Cognitive Psychology Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce. Publisher:Cengage Learning, Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ... Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini Publisher:Cengage Learning Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition) Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a... Author:E. Bruce Goldstein Publisher:Cengage Learning Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List) Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz Publisher:Cengage Learning Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition) ISBN:9780134477961 Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White Publisher:PEARSON Cognitive Psychology ISBN:9781337408271 Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce. Publisher:Cengage Learning, Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ... ISBN:9781337565691 Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini Publisher:Cengage Learning Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition) ISBN:9780393265156 Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a... ISBN:9781285763880 Author:E. Bruce Goldstein Publisher:Cengage Learning Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List) ISBN:9781305652958 Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz Publisher:Cengage Learning |