Free will/ Determinism

Question 1

Key concepts?

Answer 1

Determinism:
Every event, including human cognitive, is directly caused by chains of prior events.

Free Will:
The idea that that we are able to make choices about our behaviour.

Question 2

Application?

Answer 2

Brain scanning
Might be used to identify people for certain jobs or identify criminality

Question 3

Links to core studies?

Answer 3

Milgram:
Participants’ obedience was determined by the situation rather than their spontaneous choice.

Bandura:
Children’s aggressiveness was determined by the behaviour of the adult model.

Question 4

Similarities and differences?

Answer 4

Free will differs from nature and nurture (genes/ environment don’t determine behaviour because we can make choices.

Determinism is similar to reductionism (behaviour is largely controlled by single, simplified factors, e.g. genetics)

Question 5

Evaluations?

Answer 5

+ scientific
Emphasis on cause and effect, which is useful as it allows us to predict behaviour.

-Reductionist
Suggests that our choice are limited by e.g. biology (they are determined), thus discouraging people from exercising their free will.