Free Will And Determinism Flashcards
Define free will.
Actions come from freely choosing what to do from a number of options.
Human behaviour has no cause so is unpredictable.
Define determinism.
Actions come from forces over which people have no control.
Internal - hormones.
External - rewards etc.
What is soft determinism?
Not all or nothing.
There is an element of free will.
People are influenced by internal or external forces but are then free to choose from a number of actions.
What is hard determinism?
All behaviour is forced, there is no choice.
Give one topic after a that supports the idea of free will.
Humanism - people chose their path to self actualisation.
E.g. if not become rich may commit fraud in order to feel a sense of achievement.
Give a topic area that demonstrates hard determinism.
Psychodynamic approach - certain traits of a childhood determine the strength of the superego which then determines behaviour.
Claims unconscious forces control behaviour.
Explain how one topic area demonstrates soft determinism.
Becks negative triad.
Creates negative thoughts about self, world and future however we don’t always act on them.
What is biological determinism?
When behaviour is determined by our biological systems e.g. genetics, hormones or parts of the brain.
What is psychic determinism?
We are all at the mercy of unconscious forces over which we have no control e.g. ego, superego and id.
Describe the main idea of environmental determinism.
Behaviour determined by learning.
Causes can be explained in terms of environmental stimuli.
Explain one strength of the free will side of the debate.
Has practical value.
Adolescents who had a strong belief in fatalism were at greater risk of developing depression. An external locus of control means people are more likely to be pessimistic.
Suggests that even if we don’t have free will the fact that we believe they do ca have positive. Impacts on our mind and behaviour.
Explain one limitation of free will/strength of determinism.
Research evidence.
Participants asked to randomly flick their wrists and say when they felt their urge to move. Unconscious brain activity was measured and the conscious decision to move was recorded half a second before decision to move.
Shows even our most basic experiences of free will are actually determined by our brain before we are aware.
