Free Will & Determinism Flashcards
What does free will and determinism revolve around?
The extent to which our behavior is the result of forces over which we have no control or whether people are able to decide for themselves whether to act or behave in a certain way.
What does free will suggest?
That we all have a choice and can control and choose our own behavior. This approach is all about personal responsibility and plays a central role in Humanist Psychology.
What are strengths of the free will approach?
- It emphasises the importance of the individual and studying individual differences.
- It fits society’s view of personal responsibility e.g. if you break the law you should be punished.
- The idea of self-efficacy is useful in therapies as it makes them more effective.
What are limitations of the free will approach?
- Free will is subjective and some argue it doesn’t exist.
- It is impossible to scientifically test the concept of free will.
- Few people would agree that behavior is always completely under the control of the individual.
What does the determinist approach propose?
that all behavior is determined and thus predictable. Some approaches in psychology see the source of this determinism as being outside the individual, a position known as environmental determinism.
What is environmental determinism?
This is the idea that our behavior is caused by some sort of outside influence e.g. parental influence.
What is biological determinism?
Our biological systems, such as the nervous system, govern our behavior.
What is psychic determinism?
Freud believed childhood experiences and unconscious motivations governed behavior.
What is hard determinism?
Hard Determinism sees free will as an illusion and believes that every event and action has a cause.
What is Soft Determinism
Soft Determinism represents a middle ground, people do have a choice, but that choice is constrained by external factors e.g. Being poor doesn’t make you steal, but it may make you more likely to take that route through desperation.
What are strengths of determinism?
- Determinism is scientific and allows cause and effect relationships to be established.
- It gives plausible explanations for behavior backed up by evidence.
What are limitations of determinism?
- Determinism is reductionist.
- Does not account for individual differences. By creating general laws of behavior, deterministic psychology underestimates the uniqueness of human beings and their freedom to choose their own destiny.
