Free Will And Determinism Flashcards
What is free will
The notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by biological/external forces
What is determinism
The view that an individual’s behaviour is shaped/controlled by internal/external forces rather than an individuals will to do soemthing
What is hard determinism
Fatalism, implies that free will is not possible as our behaviour is always caused by internal/external events beyond our control, compatible with aims of science
What is soft determinism
All events, including human behaviour, have cause but behaviour can also be determined by our conscious choices in the absence of coercion (cognitive approach)
What is biological determinism
Belief that behaviour is caused by biological(genetic,hormonal, evolutionary) influences that we cannot control
What is environmental determinism
Belief that behaviour is caused by features of environment(eg systems of reward and punishment) that we cannot control
What is psychic determinism
Belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control
Is behaviourist free will or determinism
Environmental determinism- behaviour determined by stimulus and response
Is SLT free will or determinism
Soft determinism- acknowledges role of environmental factors eg vicarious reinforcement but suggests have some free choice eg mediational processes
Is cognitive approach free will or determinism
Soft determinism- argues our thinking is limited by the way we process info (brain structure and cognitive abilities can have biological root) but does not deny influence of social norms and moral values and can use cognitive reasoning to make decisions
Is biological approach free will or determinism
Biological determinism- due to biological influences eg genes and hormones
Is psychodynamic free will or determinism
Psychic determinism- behaviour result of childhood experiences and innate drives
Is humanistic free will or determinism
Free will- humans are self-determining and have an active role in deciding how they behave
The case for determinism
-consistent with the aims of science, notion that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws places psychology on equal footing with more established sciences
-the value of such research is that the prediction and control of human behaviour has led to development of treatments eg antipsychotics for SZ
-the experience of mental disorders eg SZ where individuals experience a total loss of control over their thoughts and behaviour casts doubt on concept of free will, in terms of mental disorders behaviour appears to be determined as no one would choose to have SZ
Case against determinism
-hard determinism is not consistent with the way in which our legal system operates in which offenders are held morally accountable for their actions, may reduce engagement with rehabilitation programmes
-as an approach is unfalsifiable as based on the idea that causes of behaviour will always exist even though they may not yet have been found, impossible to prove this basic principle wrong
-challenges scientific credibility
The case for free will
-has face validity as everyday experience gives the impression that we are constantly exercising free will through the choices we make on any given day
-research suggests people who have an internal locus of control (believe they have a high degree of influence over events and their own behaviour) tend to be more mentally healthy, study demonstrated adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism (that their lives were decided by events outside of their control) were at signif greater risk of developing depression
-suggests even if we do not have free will, the fact we think we do may have a positive impact on mind and behaviour
The case against free will
-neurological studies of decision making have revealed evidence against free will
-demonstrated that the brain activity that determines the outcome of simple choices may predate our knowledge of having made such a choice, researchers found that the activity related to whether to press a button with the left or right hand occurs in the brain up to ten seconds before ppts report being consciously aware of making such a decision
-shows that even our most basic experiences of free will are decided and determined by our brain before we become aware of them
