free will/determinism

Question 1

free will

Answer 1

we are able to choose how we bheave and have control over our actions

Question 2

determinism

Answer 2

behaviour is outside of
our control. It may be
influenced by our biology,
upbringing, environment,
other people around us or
the situation we are in at
the time

Question 3

studies relating to free will

Answer 3

• Milgram: 35% of participants stopped giving electric shocks before reaching 450V, suggesting that they were exercising choice over how they behaved.

Question 4

studies relating to determinism

Answer 4

• casey: – ability to delay gratification as
  determined by levels of activity in the
  inferior frontal gyrus and/or the ventral
  striatum [biological determinism]
• Milgram: 65% of participants gave
  electric shocks up to the maximum 450
  volts even though they didn’t want to
  [environmental determinism]

Question 5

strengths of free will

Answer 5

• Not socially sensitive as people can be held
  accountable for their behaviours (e.g.
  criminals)
• Useful – it can motivate people to change
  their behaviour (improving their lives).

Question 6

weakness of free will

Answer 6

• Hard to prove: what seems like ‘free will’ could
  just be a response to a different (perhaps
  unknown) determinant
• It suggests no predictability or pattern to
  behaviour, reducing the usefulness of
  psychological research

Question 7

strengths of determinism

Answer 7

• Open to positive uses – if we know what
  causes a wanted behaviour, we can make
  the behaviour occur again
• It is scientific as determinist explanations
  often arise from controlled experiments in
  which cause and effect has been
  established

Question 8

weakness of determinism

Answer 8

• Can be socially sensitive if it suggests people
  have no control over their behaviour
• Could be open to negative uses (e.g. being
  used to take away responsibility for
  individuals’ actions if they have committed a
  crime, etc.)