Levels of Explanation

How we study a phenomenon can differ depending on the granularity of the data and observation. For example, we can study chemical bonds through an understanding of substances and their reactivity. Going into further detail, we can look at the molecular structure of each substance and even further down towards subatomic particles. However, what level you choose may often depend on your research question and the purpose of your inquiry. To take another example, scientists could use Einstein’s theory of gravity and his equations to calculate trajectories for rockets sent into space. However, they can do just as well with Newton’s equations simply because they take into account a smaller number of variables and provide sufficiently accurate outcomes for rocket launches. We can see such levels of analysis being illustrated in fields such as psychology as well.

The study of psychology spans many different topics at many different levels of explanation. Lower levels of explanation are more closely tied to biological influences, such as genes, neurons, neurotransmitters, and hormones, whereas the middle levels of explanation refer to the abilities and characteristics of individual people, and the highest levels of explanation relate to social groups, organizations, and cultures (Cacioppo et al., 2000).

The same topic can be studied within psychology at different levels of explanation, as shown in the table below. For instance, the psychological disorder known as depression affects millions of people worldwide and is known to be caused by biological, social, and cultural factors. Studying and helping alleviate depression can be accomplished at low levels of explanation by investigating how chemicals in the brain influence the experience of depression. This approach has allowed psychologists to develop and prescribe drugs, such as Prozac, which may decrease depression in many individuals (Williams et al., 2009). At the middle levels of explanation, psychological therapy is directed at helping individuals cope with negative life experiences that may cause depression. At the highest level, psychologists study differences in the prevalence of depression between men and women and across cultures. The occurrence of psychological disorders, including depression, is substantially higher for women than for men, and it is also higher in Western cultures, such as in Canada, the United States, and Europe, than in Eastern cultures, such as in India, China, and Japan (Chen et al., 2009; Seedat et al., 2009). These sex and cultural differences provide insight into the factors that cause depression. The study of depression in psychology helps remind us that no one level of explanation can explain everything. All levels of explanation, from biological to personal to cultural, are essential for a better understanding of human behaviour.