FREE WILL AND DETERMINISM Flashcards
- what does FW v D section of the debate revolve around
free will vs determinism debate= extent to which our behaviour is the result of forces over which we have no control or whether people are able to decide for themselves whether to act or behave in a certain way.
What is free will
idea that what we do is voluntary and done through our own decision and choose our own course of action
What is free will in its purists form
There are no restraints on choice from the options available
what is determinism (2)
Free will is an illusion and individuals behaviour, choices and thoughts are determined by internal or external factors which we have no control.
what does External Determinism suggest + example
cause of behaviour as being outside the individual, such as parental influence, media, or school. Approaches which adopt this position include[behaviorism]and[social learning theory]
For example, Bandura (1961) showed that children become aggressive through observation and imitation of their violent parents.
what does Internal Determinism suggest (2) and what are 3 examples of this in theories
- evolution governs the behaviour of a species and genetic inheritance that of each individual within it.
- Ultimately this view sees us as no more than biological machines and even consciousness itself is interpreted as a level of arousal in the nervous system.thus There is no need for the concept of an autonomous(free will) human being.
- For example Bowlby (1969) states a child has an innate (i.e. inborn) need to attach to one main attachment figure (i.e. monotropy).
- [Personality traits]like extraversion or neuroticism, and the behaviour associated with them, are triggered by neurological and hormonal processes within the body.
- Freud also viewed behavior being controlled from inside the individual, in the form of[unconscious motivation]or childhood events, known as psychic determinism.
what does the bio approach say FW vs D debate
strongly deterministic
believes our behaviour are generated from biological roots therefore outside of conscious control
what does the learning approach say (2) on the FW vs D debate
behaviourist: deterministic
behaviour due to stimuli-response reaction, we feel we have a choice when no threat or punishment but even in them circumstances we are driven to choose whatever gave us pleasure in past SLT: between them suggests we have some level of choice whether we imitate or not but can still be said to be dictated by experience
What does the cognitive approach say on the fW VS D debate
Both
Way we process info from environment is determined by our past experiences=schema But can argue some free will as cognitive therapy requires individual to change their thoughts
What does the psychodynamic approach say on FW vs D debate
Strongly deterministic
Behaviour and thoughts dictated by our unconscious mind→ no control over our unconscious
What does the humanistic approach say on FW vs D debate
Free will
Fully advocates idea that we choose our own path in life
Maslow and rogers say: freedom is not only possible but also necessary if we are to become fully functional human beings. Both see self-actualisation as a unique human need and form of motivation setting us apart from all other species. There is thus a line to be drawn between the natural and the social sciences
What are the 2 forms of determinism
Hard determinism
Soft determinism
What is HD (3)
View that human behaviour is determined by external forces and action are out of our control
free will as an illusion and believes that every event and action has a cause.
Concepts like “free will” and “motivation” are dismissed as illusions that disguise the real causes of human behavior.
- What is SD
middle ground, people do have a choice, but that choice is constrained by external or internal factors
Idea that behaviour is determined But human also has opportunity to exercise free will if needed→ ability to choose in some circumstances
What are the 3 types of determinism
Biological
Environmental Psychic
What is BD + 3 examples of theories
-Role of Evolution and genetics in determining behaviour=> Any form of biological influence on the body→ genetic , brain physiology and biochemistry
Brain physiology: area of localisation in some way indicates that’s there are specific areas off brain which affect behaviour→ Stands to reason that if that area is damaged⇒ can have effect on behaviour which is out of individuals control Relationship found between biochemistry and behaviour⇒ eg dopamine hypothesis on schizophrenia + role of testosterone in aggression→ out of individuals control and drugs needed to control this
- What is ED + 3 example of theories
Behaviour determined by environmental influences
Conformity and obedience can show that behaviour can be altered by environment Learning approach:
- behaviourism advocates S-R explanation saying external triggers prompt behaviour from individual→ eg classical conditioning & operant conditioning
- SLT: interception of thought processes in mediating process⇒ reinforcement but cognitive process behind response eg if motivation is present
What is PD (3)
Role of Unconscious on conscious thoughts and how that affects behaviour
Advocated by psychodynamic approach→ Freud argued every action we have has a cause and cause often origins from unconscious Freudian slip= when individual says wrong word in conversation seemingly by accident→ actually an example of unconscious mind⇒ example of unconscious determining everyday behaviour= parapraxes
What is the scientific emphasis on casual explanation (2)
- Basic principle of science: Every event in universe has cause→ causes can be explained using general laws
- Knowledge of causes & formation of laws are important as allow scientists to predict & control events within controlled environment⇒ Lab experiment enable researcher to stimulate conditions & remove extraneous variables= to control/predict human behaviour
Evaluate +ve for determinism (3)
Consistent with aims of science⇒ Notion that human Behaviour is orderly and obeys laws places psych on equal foot with other established sciences-> Scientists are interested in discovering laws which can then be used to predict events. This is very easy to see in physics, chemistry and biology. As a science, psychology attempts the same thing – to develop laws, but this time to predict behavior. If we argue against determinism, we are in effect rejecting the scientific approach to explaining behavior
Prediction & control of human behaviour led to development of treatment, therapies & behavioural interventions that benefited many→ eg psychotherapeutic drug treatment in controlling & managing schizophrenia + The development of effective treatments for mental health disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), will firstly restore quality of life for the sufferer. This will then impact on their ability to work, meaning less time off work due to ill health and/or less reliance on Government funded incapacity benefit. Likewise, the NHS will save money if treatments are successful as fewer incidents of relapse, requiring medical attention, are likely to occur. Experience of mental disorder like schizophrenia where sufferer experiences total loss of control over thought& behaviour→ doubt on free will→ specially in terms of mental illness behaviour appears to be deterministic
Evaluate legal system for determinism (3)
Hard determinism→ indaviduals choice not cause of behaviour→ not consistent with way legal system operates⇒ court of law offender held morally accountable for their actions
Thus incompatible with legal responsibility→ criminals held personally & morally accountable for actions + Deterministic explanations for behavior reduce individual responsibility.+ v little ppl appeal case to judge that blame is bio, enviro & psychically determined Only extreme cases jury instructs law of diminished responsibility (greater leniency)⇒ like self defence, mental illness)
Evaluate +ve for free will (3)
Everyday experiences give impression that we constantly exercise free Will through choices we make on any given day= face validity⇒ makes cognitive sense
Research suggest ppl have internal locus of control→ have high degree of influence over events & own behaviour→ more mentally healthy: Oliner & Oliner (1998) interviewed non-Jewish survivors of WWII and compared those who had resisted orders and protected Jewish people from the Nazi’s, in comparison to those who had not. Oliner and Oliner found that the 406 ‘rescuers’, who had resisted orders, were more likely to have a high internal locus of control, in comparison to the 126 people who had simply followed orders. These results appear to support the idea that a high internal locus of control makes individuals less likely to follow orders, although there are many other factors that may have caused individuals to follow orders in WWII and it is difficult to conclude that locus of control is the only factor Robert et al: demonstrated adolescents with strong belief in fatalism lives were ‘decided’ by events outside of their control→ significantly greater risk of depression= suggest even if we don’t have free will→ if believe we do will have +ve impact on mind & behaviour.
Evaluate -ve for free will (libet et als study)
Neurological studies done by libet et al etc: demonstrate brain activity determines outcome of simple choices may predate our knowledge of having made such choices
Libet et al: conducted experiments that seemed to show that the brain “registers” the decision to make movements before a person consciously decides to move. In Libet’s experiments, participants were asked to perform a simple task such as pressing a button or flexing their wrist. Sitting in front of a timer, they were asked to note the moment at which they were consciously aware of the decision to move, while EEG electrodes attached to their head monitored their brain activity.
Libet showed consistently that there was unconscious brain activity associated with the action—a change in EEG signals that Libet called “readiness potential”—for an average of half a second before the participants were aware of the decision to move. This experiment appears to offer evidence on the view that decisions are first made by the brain, and there is a delay before we become conscious of them—at which point we attribute our own conscious intention to the act.
Evaluate interactionist approach in free Will vs determinism
Provide us best compromise in debate→ cognitive element such as SLT adopt soft determinism ⇒ bandura suggested although enviro factors in learning is key→ we are free to choose who/what to attend to & when to perform certain behaviour
Evaluate -ves of libet et als study
full of problematic issues:
- relies on the participants’ own recording of when they feel the intention to move. One issue here is that there may be a delay between the impulse to act and their recording of it—after all, this means shifting their attention from their own intention to the clock.
What is skinners view on why someone commits crime or not (HD)
In Skinner’s scheme of things the person who commits a crime has no real choice. (S)he is propelled in this direction by environmental circumstances and a personal history, which makes breaking the law natural and inevitable.
For the law-abiding, an accumulation of reinforcers has the opposite effect. Having been rewarded for following rules in the past the individual does so in the future. There is no moral evaluation or even mental calculation involved. All behavior is under stimulus control.
