Determinism Vs Freewill

Question 1

What establishes casual explanations?

Answer 1

All variables such as confounding and extraneous variables are controlled
Any differences in the DV’s must therefore be down to the IV’s (manipulating of IV)
As a result, researchers can then infer that the IV clearly affected the DV

Question 2

what is meant by determinism

Answer 2

belief that all events (behaviour) are ultimately determined by causes regarded as external to the will
- some believe indvs have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions
- shaped by internal (biological, innate) and external (learnt associations and stimulus - response link)

Question 3

what is meant by free will

Answer 3

notion that we have full choice over out actions without influence/ manipulation
- behaviour is the result of what we want to do (our decisions) + not the cause of internal / external environments
- belief we have personal agency - ability to make up our mind regardless our influence

Question 4

biological determinism

Answer 4

behaviour is the result of internal processes within our body (genetics, brain physiology and biochemistry)
- internal influences we cannot control
- genes dont definitely cause behaviour but research has found that they increase likelihood of that behaviour/ condition occurring
- OCD, inherited damaged caudate nucleus = certain symptoms show

Question 5

environmental determinism

Answer 5

behaviour is the result of our physical environment we cannot control
- environment is determined by previous experience learnt by operant and classical conditioning (NS + UCS = cynophobia)

Question 6

psychic determinism

Answer 6

behaviour is caused and determined by our unconscious mind
- FREUD argued every behaviour has an intial cause and that behaviour was initiated in a part of the brain we cannot access
- explains why indvs cannot explain why they take certain course of action
- oediplus complex - boys at 4-5 years randomly immitate father’s behaviour in order to win over their mother

Question 7

positive EV determinism

Answer 7

allows for more scientific approach
- key goal in science is to establish nomothetic laws of behaviour that allow scientists to make predictions and try control future events - approach seeks to identify exact causes of behaviour = naturally leads to being able to predict behaviour
- identifying CD as being caused by faulty genes can help establish general law
= taking approach helps people at risk bcs of the causes identified (societal benefits)