Free will and Determinism

Question 1

Define Determinism

Answer 1

Claims that all behaviour is determine by either an external or internal force and is therefore predictable.
- behaviourism, psychodynamic

Question 2

What does determinism mean?

Answer 2

Means that all behaviour has theoretically identifiable cause, and in the extreme that all future behaviour is predictable.

Question 3

How does determinism fit classical science?

Answer 3

Because we can establish a cause and effect - leading to the development of treatment. (A03)

Question 4

Define scientific determinism

Answer 4

• Research aims to find a causal explanation.
• Independent variable is manipulated in order to observe a causal effect on the DV
• e.g. classical/operant conditioning

Question 5

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 5

• Skinner states that free will is an illusion and all behaviour is a result of conditioning.
• Choices are because of reinforcement
• Even if we think we are acting independently our behaviour it has been shaped by the environment and agents of socialism.

Question 6

What is biological determinism?

Answer 6

• emphasises role of bodily processes (genetics, brain structures)
• many physiological and neurological processes are not under conscious control (autonomic nervous system during stress)
• Behaviour characteristics (mental disorders) are thought to have genetic basis

Question 7

What is psychic determinism?

Answer 7

• All behaviours are governed by unconscious instincts and drives
• The cause of behaviour is rooted in childhood experiences

Question 8

Define free will

Answer 8

is the idea that we have voices in the way we behave

Question 9

What does free will separate out from?

Answer 9

• Separates out what is the intention of an individual from what has been created by other causes.
• means that we are ‘self-determining’ and free from causal explanations of the past

Question 10

Define hard determinism

Answer 10

suggest all human behaviour has a cause and in principle it should be possible to identify and describe those causes

Question 11

Define soft determinism

Answer 11

Behaviour is seen as determinists to an extent but in the absence of compulsion people have a degree of choice

Question 12

What is determinism consistent with?

Answer 12

The aims and methods of sciences as it suggests that human behaviour obeys laws therefore we can consistent predictions and generalisations

Question 13

Neurological evidence contradicting free will

Answer 13

Neurological evidence demonstrates that people have neurological changes in the motor areas of the brain up to 10 seconds before they even realised they decided to point in a particular direction. Suggesting pre-determination.

Question 14

Why is free will hard to test?

Answer 14

Because it is hard to test the notion of free will

Question 15

What is one strength of free will debate?

Answer 15

• It has high face validity.
• For example, research has found that individuals with a high internal locus of control are at lower risk of depression and have more positive mental health record.

Question 16

What is one weakness of biological determinism?

Answer 16

• Comes from concordance observed in twin studies.
• For example, studies that compare identical twins find 80% similarity or 40% on depression.
• This means that there must be other factors
• Therefore arguing that genes (biology) do not determine behaviour.

Question 17

A weakness of environmental determinism

Answer 17

• Shown in family and adoption studies.
• Concordance found in twin and family studies demonstrate that external factors don’t contribute solely to behaviour.
• Suggests that behaviour is not entirely determined by environment.
• Argues that environmental explanation is insufficient

Question 18

A weakness of scientific determinism

Answer 18

• Research tasks during lab studies are often low in mundane realism
• Don’t reflect behaviour in the real world
• Methods used to establish cause and effect may oversimply complex human behaviour.
• Therefore our understanding is limited, establishing causality may be meaningless