Determinism - AO1

Question 1

What is Determinism as a definition ?

Answer 1

The view that an individuals behaviour is controlled by either internal or external forces. This means behaviour should be predictable.

Question 2

What is hard determinism ?

Answer 2

The view that all actions and behaviours have a cause and are therefore predictable. There is no free will so ultimately we have no control over our actions.

Question 3

What is Soft determinism ?

Answer 3

A version of determinism that allows some element of free will.

Question 4

What are external forces when looking at determinism ?

Answer 4

Factors in our environment which determine our behaviour.

Question 5

What are internal forces when looking at determinism ?

Answer 5

Factors within our own bodies that determine our behaviour.

Question 6

Forces which make up biological determinism ?

Answer 6

• Neural pathways
  -Hormones
• Inheritance of DNA/Genes.

Question 7

Biological determinism :

Answer 7

• The idea that all human behaviour stems from genetic code.
• Further research into humans is producing increasing evidence of genetic influences on behaviour.
• The more it appears our behaviours are determined by our genes.

Question 8

Examples of biological determinism:

Answer 8

• Research by (Hill et al,1999) has identified that particular genes are found in people with high intelligence e.g IGF2R gene.
• Research has shown that low levels of serotonin leads to depression and this can be inherited through genes.

Question 9

Environmental determinism:

Answer 9

• The idea that all human behaviour is a direct result of the environment and outside forces.
• Behaviourists believe that all behaviour is caused by previous experience, through processes of operant and classical conditioning.

Question 10

Example of Environmental determinism:

Answer 10

• Phobias may develop as a consequence of conditioning.
• For example, a new stimulus response relationship can be learned if the item ‘dog’ is paired with being bitten.
• Such phobic response is also unlearned through conditioning e.g systematic desensitisation.

Question 11

Psychic determinism:

Answer 11

• The idea that all human behaviour is a result of unconscious mental processes.
• Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality suggests that adult behaviour is determined by a mix of innate drives and early experiences.

Question 12

Example of Psychic determinism:

Answer 12

• Freud’s psychosexual stages of development suggests that each stage is characterised by a conflict, which if unresolved leads to a fixation in adulthood.

Question 13

Scientific determinism: emphasis on causal explanations.

Answer 13

• Scientific research is based on the belief that all events have a cause.
• IV is manipulated to observe the causal effect on the dependent variable.

Example: Harlow’s monkey study.