Free Will

Question 1

Free Will

Answer 1

• The idea of free will suggests that as human beings were are essentially self determining and have an active role in controlling our behaviour, free to choose our own thoughts and actions.
• A belief in free will does not reject the idea that there are many biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on our behaviour.
• It implies that we are able to reject these forces as the master of our own destiny.

Question 2

Example of Free Will

Answer 2

• Humanistic Approach
• Maslow argued that free will was a necessary part of human behaviour. Without it healthy development and self actualisation will not occur.
• Rogers believed that as long as an individual remains in the control of other people or things they cannot take responsibility for their actions and therefore cannot begin to change.
• Once an individual takes responsibility, personal growth is possible, resulting in psychological health.

Question 3

Evaluation of Free Will - Cognitive Sense

Answer 3

• Everyday subjective experience gives the impression that we do have free will
• Hard to deny the feeling of making a string of conscious decisions from the moment we get out of bed until the moment we get back in
• Strength - subjective experience gives the free will argument face validity.

Question 4

However - cognitive sense

Answer 4

• Being able to decide between different courses of action is not evidence for free will
• Behaviourist Skinner suggests that a person may choose to pursue a particular career but these choices are determined by previous reinforcement experiences.
• Weakness - may give us the illusion we have free will.

Question 5

Evaluation of Free Will - positive impact

Answer 5

• Mere belief in free will seems to impact behaviour.
• Roberts found that adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism were significantly more at risk of depression than adolescents with less belief in fatalism.
• Strength - belief in free will apparently reducing risks to mental health

Question 6

However - positive impact

Answer 6

• Research opposing free will
• Brain scanning techniques show that choices are made in the brain several seconds before we actually have a conscious awareness of taking a decision
• Soon had ps decide whether to press a button with either the right or left hand. Brain activity monitored by fMRI scans enabled techniques to state accurately which hand the Ps would use up to ten seconds before the ps stated their choice.
• Weakness - implies that decisions based on free will are pre determined by the brain before we become consciously aware.