Debates (Issues & Debates)

Question 1

What is free will?

Answer 1

Notion that human can make choices and aren’t determined by biological or external forces.

Question 2

How does the humanistic approach link to free will?

Answer 2

Doesn’t deny biological/environmental forces exerting an influence on behaviour but can reject these.

Question 3

What is determinism?

Answer 3

View that individual’s behaviour shaped/controlled by internal/external forces rather than their will do something.

Question 4

What is hard determinism?

Answer 4

Free will not possible

Question 5

What is soft determinism?

Answer 5

All events, including behaviour have causes but also determined by conscious choices.

Question 6

What is biological determinism?

Answer 6

Belief behaviour caused by biological influences (genetics, hormones, evolutionary) - influences we cannot control.

Question 7

Give an examples of biological determinism.

Answer 7

Autonomic Nervous System - periods of stress and anxiety.

Mental disorders - genetic basis (dopamine hypothesis)

Question 8

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 8

Belief behaviour cased by features of environment (e.g reward and punishment) that we cannot control.

Question 9

Give examples of environmental determinism.

Answer 9

Parents, teachers, institutions (conditioning and reinforcement)

Question 10

What is psychic determinism?

Answer 10

Belief behaviour caused by unconscious conflicts we cannot control

Question 11

What is the scientific emphasis of causal explanations?

Answer 11

Aims to find the cause of things.
Based on principle every event has a cause.
Scientific methods used to identify that only the IV effects the DV.

Question 12

Give a strength of free will

Answer 12

Everyday experiences we use our free will.
Choice believe to be made by ourselves.
Gives face validity to free will.
Research suggests internal locus of control = more mentally healthy.
Suggest if we think we have free will, may not have a positive impact on behaviour.

Question 13

Give another strength of free will.

Answer 13

Brain scan evidence give support.
Libet (1983) random moment to flick wrist whilst brain activity measured. Had to say they felt the conscious will.
Found the unconscious brain activity leading up to conscious decision came around half a second before.
Even basic experiences of free will are actually determined by brain before we are aware of them.

Question 14

Give a strength of determinism.

Answer 14

Consistent with aims of science.
Hard determinism view - human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws.
Psychology therefore equal footing with established sciences.
Human behaviour can be predicted and controlled. Development of treatment, therapies and behavioural intervention benefitted many.

Question 15

Give another strength of determinism.

Answer 15

Approaches adopting soft determinism more appropriate.
Social learning theory - environmental factors key in learning.
Fee to choose who/what to attend to and when to perform certain behaviours.
Suggests interactionst approach may provide us with best compromise in the debate.

Question 16

Give a limitation of determinism

Answer 16

Position of legal system on responsibility.
Court of law, offenders held responsible. They exercised free will in commuting the crime.
Suggests in real world, determinist arguments don’t work.

Question 17

What is the nature-nuture debate?

Answer 17

The extent to which aspects of behaviour are a product of inheritance or acquire characteristics.

Question 18

What do nativists argue about nature?

Answer 18

Rene Descantes - human characteristics innate so heredity.

Question 19

What do empiricists believe about the mind?

Answer 19

A blank slate, human behaviour learnt as a result of environment l.

Question 20

Define the environment

Answer 20

Any influence on human behaviour that is non-genetic. From prenatal influences in womb to cultural and historical influences at a societal level.