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Evaluate the classic studies by Baddeley (1966b) and Watson and Rayner (1920) in terms of reductionism. - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 4 - 2019 - Paper 3
Question 4
Evaluate the classic studies by Baddeley (1966b) and Watson and Rayner (1920) in terms of reductionism.
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Evaluate the classic studies by Baddeley (1966b) and Watson and Rayner (1920) in terms of reductionism. - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 4 - 2019 - Paper 3
Step 1
Reductionism as a Concept
Answer
Reductionism is an approach to understanding complex phenomena by breaking them down into their simpler components. It proposes that understanding the smaller units (e.g., individual studies or mechanisms) is key to explaining the larger phenomenon (e.g., memory or learning). This viewpoint suggests that a smaller unit's interactions are less important than understanding the individual components themselves.
Step 2
Evaluation of Baddeley (1966b)
Answer
In his study, Baddeley (1966b) investigated memory by employing both acoustic and semantic coding. He demonstrated that participants could recall lists of words better when they were semantically encoded, highlighting a reductionist perspective by isolating specific memory processes. His conclusions suggest that short-term and long-term memory are distinct systems, which is a reductionist view since it simplifies the complexity of memory into specific mechanisms.
Step 3
Evaluation of Watson and Rayner (1920)
Answer
Watson and Rayner (1920) conducted a controlled experiment to observe conditioned responses in Little Albert. Their laboratory approach, isolating stimuli and response pairings, reflects a reductionist method for studying learning. By focusing on observable behavior and the stimulus-response associations, their study exemplified how behavior can be understood by breaking it down into fundamental interactions.
Step 4
Holistic vs. Reductionist Perspectives
Answer
While the reductionist approach offers valuable insights, it is also crucial to adopt a more holistic perspective. For instance, Baddeley's work, while emphasizing specific memory components, may overlook the broader implications of contextual and experiential factors. Similarly, Watson and Rayner's findings on conditioned responses could benefit from considering social or environmental influences on behavior, emphasizing that learning cannot be fully understood through reductionism alone.