Free Will and Determinism

Question 1

Free will

Answer 1

Humans are self-determining - make own choices

Question 2

Determinism

Answer 2

Individual’s behaviour controlled by internal or external influences

Question 3

Hard determinism

Answer 3

All human behaviour is caused by an identifiable influence

Question 4

Soft determminism

Answer 4

Behaviour may be caused/predicted by internal/external influence but can still be controlled by choice

Question 5

Biological determinism

Answer 5

Behaviour is caused by genetic,neural or evolutionary influences - cannot control

Question 6

Environmental determinism

Answer 6

Behaviour is caused by features of environment e.g. socialisation or condition - cannot control

Question 7

Psychic determinism

Answer 7

Behaviour caused by unconscious biological urges and psychodynamic conflicts - cannot control

Question 8

Practical value - FW

Answer 8

Roberts
- looked at fatalist adolescents
- significantly greater risk of developing depression
- external locus of control = less optimistic
- Belief in free will, even if untrue has a positive impact on mind an behaviour

Question 9

Research evidence - D

Answer 9

Libet
- participants choose random moment to flick their wrist
- measured brain activity (readiness potential)
- participants stated when they felt the conscious will to move
- unconscious brain activity found half a second before the participant consciously decided to move
- basic experience of free will are determined by our brain before we are aware

Question 10

Expected

Answer 10

• Libet showed brain was involved in decision-making which is expected
• just because action comes before conscious decisioni doesn’t mean there was no decision to act
• decision just took time to reach consciousness
• conscious awareness of decision is just a ‘read-out’ of unconscious decision making
• inappropriate challenge to FW

Question 11

Law

Answer 11

• Legal system = offenders held responsible for actions and that defendant exercised FW in committing a crime
• Hard determinism claims choice is not the cause of behavior

Question 12

Desirable

Answer 12

• helped establish psychology as a science
• hard determinism (biological and behaviourist approach) lead to therapies
• FW has intuitive appeal
• we make our on choice not pushed by uncontrollable forces
• liberating ‘not accepting one’s fate’ e.g. mental disorder in family

Question 13

Peter Rabbit Eats Lettuce Daily

Answer 13

• Practical value FW
• Research support D
• Expected CP
• Law
• Desirable