Free will and Determinism Flashcards
what is determinism
the view that behaviour is controlled by external and/or internal forces that act on the individual - we have no choice or control
what is an example of an internal force of determinism
hormones influences someone’s behaviour
what is an example of an external force of determinism
parents rewarding someone’s behaviour
what is free will
the view that our actions are voluntary and we have freedom of choice, therefore have full control over behaviour
from the idea of free will is it possible to predict human behaviour
no - entirely impossible
from the idea of determinism is it possible to predict human behaviour
yes
what are the two degrees of determinism
hard and soft
what is hard determinism
view that forces outside our control shape our behaviour
what is the relationship between hard determinism and free will
they are completely incompatible
what are examples of forces outside our control in hard determinism
biology or past experience - environment and biological make up
what is soft determinism
view that some behaviours are more constrained than others and there is an element of free will in all behaviour
in reference to soft determinism, what constrains behaviour
environmental and biological factors
what does soft determinism say about predicting behaviour
behaviour is predictable but not inevitable
what are the four types of determinism
- biological
- environmental
- psychic
- scientific
what is biological determinism
belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences we cannot control
give examples of biological determinism
genes, hormones, nervous system, evolutionary factors
what is environmental determinism
belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment and other aspects of socialisation beyond our control
give examples of environmental determinism
rewards, punishments, associations (operant and classical conditioning)
what is psychic determinism
the belief that human behaviour is the result of childhood experiences and innate drives
give examples of psychic determinism
Id, ego, superego, unconscious conflicts
what is scientific determinism
the deterministic argument must be able to show the behaviour has been CAUSED by something OUT OF the individuals CONTROL
which approach believes in free will
the humanistic approach
how is the humanistic approach based on free will
personal agency (choices we make) and self-determination (control) determines behaviour
what type of determinism is the biological approach based on
biological determinism
what type of determinism is the behaviourist approach based on
environmental determinism
what type of determinism is the SLT approach based on
soft determinism
what type of determinism is the biological approach based cognitive
soft determinism
what type of determinism is the psychodynamic approach based on
psychic determinism
what degree of determinism is favoured by psychologists
soft
give an example of the biological approach being based on biological determinism
dopamine hypothesis of SZ - behaviour controlled by genes, hormones, neurotransmitters
give an example of the behaviourist approach being based on environmental determinism
development of phobias and the role of conditioning in that - behaviour controlled by stimulus-response conditioning
give an example of the SLT approach being based on soft determinism
development of gender - environment plays a part but people still have choice
give an example of the cognitive approach being based on soft determinism
gender schema theory - mediational process control behaviour but people choose what info they attend to
give an example of the psychodynamic approach being based on psychic determinism
freud’s theory of personality development - unconscious drives and early experiences drive behaviour
