Free will/determinism (social Area)

Question 1

Key concepts of the free will/determinism debate

Answer 1

Determinism-every event, including human cognition is directly caused by chains of prior events

Freewill -the idea that we are able to make choices about our behaviour

Question 2

Application of the free will/determinism debate

Answer 2

Brain scanning-might be used to identify people for certain jobs or identify criminality (raine et al)

Question 3

Links to core studies

Answer 3

Milgram-participants obedience was determined by the situation rather than their spontaneous choice

Bandura et al - children’s aggressiveness, was determined by the behaviour of the adult model .

Question 4

Similarities and differences

Answer 4

Free world 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 genetics)

Question 5

Evaluation of the freewheel/determinism debate

Answer 5

+ scientific- emphasis on course and effect which is useful as it allows us to predict behaviour.

-reductionist, as it suggests that our choices are limited by e.g. biology(they are determined) thus discouraging people from exercising their free well