Determinism Flashcards
What is determinism?
An individual’s behaviour is controlled by either internal or external forces. Behaviour is predictable.
What is biological determinism?
A lot of research on human genomes is proving that our behaviours are determined by our genes.
E.g., research on intelligence has identified particular genes found in people with high intelligence, such as the IGF2R gene.
How do genes influence behaviour?
Genes influence brain structure and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine that are often implicated in behaviour.
What is environmental determinism?
Behaviourists believe all behaviour is determined by previous experiences, though operant and classical conditioning.
What shapes our experience of choice?
Our experience of ‘choice’ is the sum of reinforcement contingencies that have acted upon us throughout our lives.
How is behaviour determined according to environmental determinism?
Our behaviour has been shaped and determined through stimulus response.
What is Psychic Determinism?
Behaviour is determined and directed by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood.
What drives behaviour according to Psychic Determinism?
Behaviour is driven by the libido, which focuses sequentially on erogenous zones such as the mouth or anus.
What happens if a child is overindulged or frustrated during development?
The libido remains tied to the relevant erogenous zone and the individual is fixated on that zone.
How does the method of obtaining satisfaction during a stage affect an individual?
The method of obtaining satisfaction that characterised the stage will determine the adult personality.
What is Scientific Determinism?
All events have a cause and those causes can be explained by general laws.
Why is knowledge of causes and formulation of laws important in Scientific Determinism?
They allow scientists to predict and control events in the future.
What does the laboratory method enable researchers to do?
It enables researchers to stimulate the conditions to manipulate an IV to measure the DV and control extraneous variables.
What is Hard Determinism?
It suggests that all human action has a cause and it should be possible to identify these causes.
What is Soft Determinism?
It suggests all human action has a cause but people have freedom to make choices within a restricted range of options.
