3) Issues and Debates - Free Will and Determinism

Question 1

What is Free Will?

Answer 1

Human beings are self determining and free to chose our thoughts and decisions.

Question 2

Which approach advocates free will?

Answer 2

The Humanistic Approach

Question 3

What is determinism?

Answer 3

Behaviour is caused by internal and external forces rather than an individuals will to do something.

Question 4

What are the types of determinism?

Answer 4

Hard, Soft, Biological, Environmental and Psychic.

Question 5

What is hard determinism?

Answer 5

• All human behaviour has a cause and is almost entirely dictated by internal and external forces which we cannot control.
• Free will is not possible

Question 6

What is soft determinism?

Answer 6

Determining forces have an impact in the way we behave but we have the freedom to make rational conscious decisions.

Question 7

What is Biological Determinism?

Answer 7

Behaviour is caused by biological influences which we cannot control.

Question 8

What is Environmental Determinism?

Answer 8

• Behaviour is the result of conditioning.

- It is the sum total of reinforcement that has happened throughout our lives through our environment.

Question 9

Which approach is associated with Soft Determinism?

Answer 9

Cognitive Approach

Question 10

Which approach is associated with Biological Determinism?

Answer 10

Biological Approach

Question 11

Which approach is associated with Environmental Approach?

Answer 11

Behaviourist Approach

Question 12

What is Psychic Determinism?

Answer 12

• Behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts which are out of our control.

Question 13

Which Approach is associated with Psychic Determinism?

Answer 13

Psychodynamic Approach

Question 14

What is the scientific emphasis on casual explanations?

Answer 14

• Every event has a cause and that cause can be explained using general laws.
• The laboratory experiment enables researchers to remove all extraneous variables in an attempt to precisely control and predict human behaviour.

Question 15

Give a strength of Determinism

Answer 15

P - Determinism is consistent with the aims of science.
E - The notion that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws allows psychology to be viewed as more of a science.
E - Through this it has lead to the development of treatments, as shown through the drug therapy of schizophrenia.

Question 16

Give a limitation of Determinism

Answer 16

P - Determinism is unfalsifiable.
E - It suggests that the causes of behaviour will always exist, even if they may not have been found.
E - This is impossible to prove wrong as it is impossible to investigate.
L - Therefore determinism may not be as scientific as it appears.

Question 17

Give two strengths of Free Will

Answer 17

P - Free will has face validity.
E - Everyday experiences give the impression that we are constantly exercising free will through our actions.

P - Research shows that free will has a positive impact on a person.
E - Research shows that people who have a high internal LOC tend to be more mentally healthy.
E - This means that people who believe that they have control over their lives are happier in comparison to another study which showed a higher risk of adolescents developing depression if they had a strong belief in fatalism.
L - This suggests that even if we do not have free will, the fact that we think we do may have a positive impact on our mind and behaviour.

Question 18

Give a limitation of Free Will

Answer 18

P - Neurological studies of decision making go against free will.
E - They showed that the brain activity that determines the outcome of simple choices may predate our knowledge of making a choice.
E - Researchers found that the activity related to pressing a button with the right or left hand occurs up to 10 seconds before participants report being consciously aware of making such a decision.
L - This shows that even basic experiences of free will are decided and determined by our brain before we become aware of them.