neuroreductionism

noun

A form of reductionism which explains psychological phenomena in terms of neuroscience.

Scrabble 22

Meanings

nounneuroreductionism (plural neuroreductionisms)

plural neuroreductionisms

  1. human sciencesA form of reductionism which explains psychological phenomena in terms of neuroscience.

    It is the central dogma of one careful type of neuroreductionism that such a reduction will eventually be possible for all psychological concepts and theories.

    1984, Wim A. van de Grind, “Decomposition and Neuro-reduction of Visual Perception”, in Andrea J. van Doorn et al., editors, Limits in Perception: Essays in Honour of Maarten A. Bouman, VNU Science Press, page 434
    2 more examples

    Neuroreductionism is a methodology aimed at explanation of complex nervous systems by analysis of relations between levels of organization, and explanation of each level of organization in terms of simpler constituents.

    1993, Marcus Jacobson, Foundations of Neuroscience, Plenum Press, page 101

    Neurophysiologists failed to find any evidence for such fields of electrical activity in the brain, and so tended to dismiss Gestalt theory in general rather than Köhler's unsuccessful attempt at neuroreductionism in particular.

    2001, Nicholas J. Wade, Michael T. Swanston, Visual Perception: An Introduction, 2nd edition, Psychology Press, page 76

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

neuroreductionism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neuroreductionism

MLA

“neuroreductionism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neuroreductionism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neuroreductionism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neuroreductionism.

Source: neuroreductionism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.