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GCSE Psychology · key term
An approach that explains a complex problem by breaking it down into simpler components or focusing on a limited mechanism.
Used by AQA and OCR
Paper 2
An approach that explains a complex phenomenon in terms of simpler components, potentially overlooking other contributing factors.
An approach that explains or treats a complex problem by focusing on particular components, such as biological processes.
When evaluating reductionism, name the neglected influences—teachers, parents, peers and culture—and explain why they matter for cognitive development.
Develop reductionism as a criticism by identifying what is simplified and what is overlooked, such as negative thought processes.
Develop the reductionism criticism: explain what the theory reduces dreaming to, what it overlooks and why this limits the explanation.
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Paper 1, Paper 2
Explaining complex behaviour through a limited set of factors rather than considering the full range of influences.
Revise: Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory and EvaluationReductionism explains complex behaviour through a limited set of factors. Piaget's theory can be criticised as reductionist because its account of children progressing through fixed stages places too much emphasis on biological maturation and independent discovery.
Explaining a complex phenomenon through a limited set of simpler components, such as explaining a psychological disorder only through brain chemicals.
An approach that explains a complex phenomenon by simplifying it into a limited set of components or causes.
Explaining a complex process by focusing on a limited set of factors, potentially overlooking other important influences.
Explaining a complex behaviour by breaking it down into simpler constituent parts, such as neural activity.
