free will and determinism

Question 1

define determinism

Answer 1

the idea that our behaviour is governed by internal/external forces that are out of our control

Question 1

define hard determinism

Answer 1

the idea that our lives are governed by forces that are out of our control - seen as incompatible with free will

Question 2

define biological determinism

Answer 2

refers to the idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes

Question 3

example of biological determinism

Answer 3

Nestadt et al (2000) found that people with first-degree relatives who suffer from OCD are 5 times more likely to suffer from OCD some point in their lives

Question 4

define environmental determinism

Answer 4

refers to the idea that behaviour is caused by forces outside the individual and that we are a product of our environment
therefore caused by previous experiences learned through CC and OC

Question 5

example of environmental determinism

Answer 5

phobias are acquired through CC and maintained through OC and therefore to some extent environmentally determined

Question 6

define soft determinism

Answer 6

the idea that behaviour is governed by forces that are out of control to a certain extent - there is an element of free will in all behaviour

Question 7

define psychic determinism

Answer 7

claims that human behaviour is the result of childhood experiences and innate drives as in Freud’s model of psychological development

Question 8

example of psychic determinism

Answer 8

Freud’s psychosexual stages of development suggests that each stage is characterised by a conflict which, if unresolved, leads to fixation in adulthood e.g. anal expulsive personalities being the result of fixation at the anal stage. anally expulsive personalities have characteristics such as lack of self-control, being careless, disorganised

Question 9

define free will

Answer 9

the idea that we can play an active role and choice in how we behave

Question 10

define humanistic approach

Answer 10

humanistic psychologists argue that self-determinism is a necessary part of human behaviour e.g. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Question 11

example of humanistic approach

Answer 11

Roberts (2000) believed that adolescents with a strong sense of ‘fatalism’ (their lives were out of their control) were more likely to suffer from depression than those who didn’t have this outlook

Question 12

define causal explanation

Answer 12

where a change in the DV is attributable to the manipulation of an IV

Question 13

how are causal explanations established?

Answer 13

1. to establish the influences on behaviour, psychologists attempt to use the scientific method, by controlling all extreaneous and confounding variables as far as possible to ascertain that the IV has affected the DV (result)
2. through repeating the research under controlled conditions (e.g. using a laboratory experiment) and performing statistical tests, a ‘cause and effect’ relationship can be established between two variables. this increases the scientific credibility of psychology, through enabling the prediction and control of behaviour.

Question 14

explain a study that supports causal explanations

Answer 14

Loftus and Palmer (1974) manipulated the verb used in the critical question (IV) to measure the effect on the participant’s estimate of speed (DV)

Question 15

evaluate how 100% genetic determinism is unlikely to be found for any behaviour

Answer 15

studies that compare MZ twins have found 80% similarity for intelligence and 40% for depression.
this suggests that genes do not entirely determine behaviour and supports an interactionist standpoint.
the fact that concordance rates for MZ twins are often higher than for siblings, despite both sharing 50% of genes, may be due to MZ twins being more likely to share the same environment

Question 16

evaluate how determinism simplifies human behaviour

Answer 16

human behaviour is less rigid than non-humans and influenced by many factors i.e. cognitive factors which can override biological impulses.
for example, aggression cannot be simplified to the action of the endocrine system and adrenaline.
there are cognitive factors and accompanying emotions which are just as, if not more, important than the biological aspects

Question 17

explain how determinism can led to treatment

Answer 17

determinism has also led to treatment methods for mental disorders, such as depression and OCD through the control of serotonin by using SSRIs and SNRIs
however, this biological deterministic approach does not allow the use of other treatments which are not based on biological mechanisms, such as CBT