Free will / Determinism

Question 1

What is meant by free will?

Answer 1

The idea that we have a conscious choice over our behaviours, it is an optimistic approach.

Question 2

What is meant by determinism?

Answer 2

Behaviour is driven by external factors, over which we have no control.

Question 3

What are the different types of determinism?

Answer 3

• Hard
• Soft
• Reciprocal
• Biological
• Psychic
• Environmental

Question 4

Humanism is known to support which side of the debate?

Answer 4

Free will.

Question 5

What is meant by soft determinism?

Answer 5

External factors cause behaviour, there is some allowance for free will ideas as we have conscious mental control.

Question 6

What is meant by hard determinism?

Answer 6

All behaviour is driven by external factors, meaning that you are able to identify factors that cause behaviour.

Question 7

What is meant by psychic determinism?

Answer 7

All behaviours are driven by the unconscious mind.

Question 8

What is meant by environmental determinism?

Answer 8

Behaviours are driven by factors in your environment, a stimulus leads to a response.

Question 9

Which type of determinism is known as fatalism?

Answer 9

Hard determinism.

Question 10

What is meant by biological determinism?

Answer 10

Behaviours are caused by biological make-up such as genetics, this allows for prediction and control.

Question 11

Which key approach supports the idea of biological determinism?

Answer 11

Biological.

Question 12

Which key approach supports the idea of psychic determinism?

Answer 12

Psychic.

Question 13

Which key approach supports the idea of hard determinism?

Answer 13

Biological and Behaviourism.

Question 14

Which key approach supports the idea of environmental determinism?

Answer 14

Behaviourism.

Question 15

Which key approach supports the idea of soft determinism?

Answer 15

Cognitive.

Question 16

Which key approach supports the idea of psychic determinism?

Answer 16

Psychodynamic.

Question 17

Which key approach supports the idea of reciprocal determinism?

Answer 17

Social Learning Theory (SLT).

Question 18

AO3:

Consistent with the aims of science.

Answer 18

Determinism is consistent with the aims of science; the aims of science are that it is falsifiable, consistent, and replicable. This is a strength as it allows us to systematically test determinist hypothesis to determine whether they are true and further to develop nomothetic laws of behaviour.

Question 19

AO3:

Inconsistent with legal system.

Answer 19

An acceptance of determinism is inconsistent with the legal system, the penal system is based on the idea of free will and the negative choice you make to commit the crime. If the criminal gene was accepted as true, then people would no longer be able to be held accountable for crimes if they have a history of crime in their family or posses the gene.

Question 20

AO3:

Mental illness treatment.

Answer 20

If we accept biological determinism for explanations of mental illness it is very hard to treat, cognitive biases and irrational cognition is recognised as an explanation for depression, and the treatments are aimed at identifying and challenging irrational thoughts. If we accepted biological determinism as the cause of depression, then the cognitive treatment would be invalid and would not work.

Question 21

AO3:

Unfalsifiable concepts.

Answer 21

Determinism as a concept is unfalsifiable, the idea of external events dictating our behaviours is not completely testable. It appears to be testable, however, there are too many factors to completely determine what causes behaviour.

Question 22

AO3:

Face validity.

Answer 22

Free will has face validity, we appear to have choice, however, our choices are constrained by the range of choices that are available.

Question 23

AO3:

LOC.

Answer 23

Thinking we have free-will is a powerful notion against depression, this is related the idea of locus of control (LOC). A study by Roberts showed adolescents with a strong external LOC (fatalism) were at much higher risk of depression than those with an internal LOC. Therefore, the belief that we personally have free will may be a strong prevention of depression.

Question 24

AO3:

Neurological studies.

Answer 24

The light switch being pressed with the left or right hand, neurological studies have shown participants being asked to press a switch with one of their hands. They were told to tell the researcher when they have decided which hand they want to press it with, however, the scans showed that the decision was made 10 seconds before the participant was consciously aware of the hand they would choose.

Question 25

AO3:

Many types of determinism.

Answer 25

Can we really suggest behaviour is due to a single type of determinism? The diathesis stress model utilises two different types of determinism working together, the diathesis is biological determinism whilst the stress is an environmental determinism.