Free Will and Determinism Flashcards
1
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Free will
A
- Free will suggests human beings are self-determining and free to choose their own thought and actions.
- Belief in free will doesn’t deny there may be other forces that exert influence, but we are capable of rejecting these forces because we have control of our thoughts and behaviour.
- Advocated for in the humanistic approach.
2
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Hard Determinism
AKA Fatalism
A
- Suggests all human behaviour has a cause that should be possible to identify and explain.
- This position suggests everything we do and think is directed by an external forces that we cannot control.
3
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Soft Determinism
A
- James (1980) proposed soft determinism that became a feature of the cognitive approach.
- He thought that while there are elements that determine our behaviour that scientists should explain, this does not detract from the freedom we have to make rational conscious choices.
4
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Biological Determinism
A
- The biological approach emphasises the role of biological determinism in behaviour.
- For example, the influence of the ANS on stress response or genes on mental health.
- Modern biological pyschologists recognise the mediating influence of the environment on our biological structures.
5
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Environmental Determinism
A
- B.F. Skinner described free will as an illusion and that all behaviour is the result of conditioning.
- Although we think we are acting independently, our experience of ‘choice’ is merely a total of reinforcement contingencies that have acted on us throughout our lives.
6
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Psychic Determinism
A
- Freud agreed with Skinner that free will is an illusion but emphasised biological drives.
- He saw human behaviour has determined by unresolved conflicts, repressed in childhood.
- There’s “no such thing as an accident”, everything is explained by the influence of the unconscious mind.
7
Q
Free Will and Determinism
Causal Explanations
A
- A basic principle of science is that everything in the universe has a cause and can be explained using general laws.
- Knowledge of causes and the formation of laws are important, allowing scientists to predict and control events in the future.
- Lab experiments in psychology enables researchers to demonstrate causal relationships where all variables are controlled.
8
Q
Free Will and Determinism: Evaluation
Practical Value for Mental Health
Strength
A
- The concept of free will has practical value.
- Even if we do not have free will, thinking we have free choice can improve our mental health.
- A study found adolescents that had a strong belief in fatalism were at significantly greater risk of developing depression.
This suggest that believing in free will can have a positive outcome on mental health.
9
Q
A
