Free Will/ Determinism

Question 1

What is mean by an ‘issue’ in psychology?

Answer 1

• Refers to a source of conflict that if ignored could undermine the value of our theories and research.

Question 2

Define the concept ‘free will’.

Answer 2

• People have a ‘mind’ and can make their own decisions.
• They therefore are responsible for their actions

Question 3

Define the concept ‘determinism’.

Answer 3

• Behaviour is entirely a product of our biology and/or environment, and/or our unconscious and therefore we have no free will. This means that we are not entirely responsible for our actions.

Question 4

Define ‘biological determinism’.

Answer 4

• Behaviour is caused by physiology e.g. genes, neurotransmitters, brain structure, therefore the idea of free will is an illusion.
• We could argue that we are programmed by our biology

Question 5

Define ‘environmental determinism’.

Answer 5

• Behaviour is a response to a stimulus in the environment & prior learning from rewards/punishments.

Question 6

Define ‘psychic determinism’.

Answer 6

• The cause of behaviour is the unconscious which is unknown because it has been actively repressed.

Question 7

Define ‘soft determinism’.

Answer 7

• Behaviours are constrained by environmental & biological factors, but only to a certain extent.
• Furthermore some behaviours are more constrained by others.
• This leaves us with the ability to make some decisions or be responsible for some actions ourselves.

Question 8

Define ‘hard determinism’.

Answer 8

• There is no ‘mind’ and free will is an illusion: everything has a cause and is the effect of some cause or causes

Question 9

What approaches are free will and what approaches are determinist?

Answer 9

Free Will
- Humanistic Approach

• Cognitive Approach (middle)

Determinist
- Psychodynamic approach
- Biological approach
- Social Learning Theory (softer)
- Behavioural approach

Question 10

Is Biological Determinism scientific? If so how?

Answer 10

• Argument can be supported scientifically
• We can measure brain activity through brain scans to show correlates between activity and behaviour
  e.g. brain damaged studies Brocas area- damage leads to problems producing speech
  Raines psychopath & non-psychopath found hypoactivity of amygdala & orbital frontal cortex in psychopaths brains- not in a control group

Question 11

Is environmental determinism scientific? If so how?

Answer 11

• Can see whether someones behaviour can be changed through conditioning ∴ can test hypothesis & show cause & effect. through empirical methods
• e.g. little albert, animal studies- skinner, Pavlov , Treating phobias, research into systematic desensitisation & flooding

Question 12

Is Psychic determinism scientific if not why not?

Answer 12

• Is not scientific as you cannot falsify the concepts of the unconscious
• Impossible to falsify psychic determinism & free will as they are much less credible as an explanation