FREE WILL VS DETERMINISM

Question 1

what 3 things do we have to remember for free will vs determinism

Answer 1

free will
determinism
5 types of determinism

Question 2

define free will

Answer 2

notions that humans can make their own choices, not determined by bio/ext forces

Question 3

what approach favours free will?

Answer 3

humanistic

Question 4

free will means humans are…

Answer 4

self-determining in thoughts and actions

Question 5

however, free will doesn’t disregard…

Answer 5

doesn’t disregard bio/ext forces, but says we can reject them and be ‘masters of our own destiny’

Question 6

define determinism

Answer 6

view that individuals behaviour is shaped by int/ext factors

Question 7

how many types of determinism are there?

Answer 7

5

Question 8

what are the 5 types of determinism?

Answer 8

hard
soft
biological
environmental

Question 9

hard determinism believes…

Answer 9

free will isn’t possible as we are always controlled by int/ext events that are out of our control

Question 10

what takes the approach of hard determinism?

Answer 10

aims of science

Question 11

soft determinism believes…

Answer 11

all events have causes, but behaviour is determined by conscious choices as humans have conscious mental control

Question 12

______ linked soft determinism to the ________ approach

Answer 12

James linked soft determinism to cognitive approach

Question 13

soft determinism can also be linked to….

Answer 13

the social learning theory as we cannot escape the event we are observing, but we can choose to pay attention to it

Question 14

biological determinism is…

Answer 14

when behaviour is caused by biological influences that we cannot control

Question 15

what approach has biological determinism?

Answer 15

biological approach

Question 16

many ____________ and ___________ processes are not in our control e.g.

Answer 16

physiological and neurological processes not in our control e.g. autonomic nervous system in stress

Question 17

what is thought to have a genetic basis making it have biological determinism?

Answer 17

mental disorders for example aggression with testosterone

Question 18

modern biopsych use the what when conducting studies?

Answer 18

diathesis-stress model where they believe cognitive vulnerabilities are heightened by environmental events

Question 19

environmental determinism is when…

Answer 19

behaviour is caused by environment e.g. systems of reward and punishment that we cannot control

Question 20

who said that we don’t have free will as explain this in environmental determinism?

Answer 20

Skinner and said that all behaviour is a result of conditioning

Question 21

environmental determinism means we don’t act independently because…

Answer 21

behaviour is shaped by socialisation e.g. family, peers, law, education

Question 22

psychic determinism is when…

Answer 22

behaviour is caused by unconscious conflict that we cannot control

Question 23

who links to psychic determinism?

Answer 23

Freud and the psychodynamic approach

Question 24

Freud says free will is an illusion and puts…

Answer 24

more emphasis on influence of biological drives and instincts

Question 25

what is a strength and weakness of determinism?

Answer 25

+ determinism is consistent with aims of science | - not falsifiable

Question 26

one strength of determinism is that...

Answer 26

it is consistent with the aims of science

Question 27

the concept of determinism has...

Answer 27

roots in science, suggesting behaviour is governed by specific laws and principles and cause and effect relationships

Question 28

determinism establishing cause and effect relationships allows...

Answer 28

allows us to make predictions and take measures to control individual behaviour

Question 29

what evidence is there to support determinism?

Answer 29

evidence behaviour is determined in schizophrenic patients, who lose control of thoughts and action

Question 30

schizophrenic patients suggest that...

Answer 30

for certain mental illnesses free will doesn't apply

Question 31

schizophrenic patients having no free will and having a bio basis has led to the development of...

Answer 31

anti-psychotic drugs improving the quality of life for many schizophrenics and families

Question 32

determinism having scientific basis and allowing schizophrenics to be seen as victims of disease increases...

Answer 32

theoretical value and practical application of determinism

Question 33

one weakness of determinism is that...

Answer 33

the idea that all future behaviour is predictable is challenged by physicists who believe that determinist approach is unfalsifiable

Question 34

determinism states it should be able to predict ________ from knowledge of genetic factors but...

Answer 34

behaviour from knowledge of factors but we cannot test these empirically due to lack of knowledge

Question 35

determinism not being able to be falsified means that...

Answer 35

determinist factors cannot be scrutinised and falsified, making it unscientific

Question 36

deterministic approach not being able to be falsified decreases...

Answer 36

the credibility of determinism as it is believed to be scientific when it isn't

Question 37

give one strength and one weakness of free will

Answer 37

+ concept of free will improves life | - criticising neurological evidence

Question 38

one strength of free will is that..

Answer 38

the concept of it improves quality of life

Question 39

people with an ________ ___ tend to be more _______ ______

Answer 39

internal loc tend to be more mentally healthy

Question 40

what evidence is there to support how free will improves life?

Answer 40

Roberts et al found adolescents with strong belief in fatalism ( life controlled by outside events) significantly greater risk of developing depression

Question 41

what does Roberts et al study suggest?

Answer 41

suggests that the thought of having free will, allows us to think we have more impact of behaviour

Question 42

since free will has been shown to improve quality of life this increases...

Answer 42

real life application of free will, increasing the external validity

Question 43

however, one weakness of free will is that...

Answer 43

neurological studies of decision making disagree with the concept of free will

Question 44

who conducted neurological studies that disagree with free will?|

Answer 44

Soon

Question 45

what did Soon find?

Answer 45

demonstrated that our decision to do simple tasks e.g. press button w/ right or left hand occurs prior to being consciously aware of this decision

Question 46

what does Soon et al's findings show?

Answer 46

basic decisions determined not free will suggesting free will is just an illusion

Question 47

Soon et al's research decreases the ________ _______ of free will

Answer 47

internal validity of free will

Question 48

however, free will being an illusion is criticised by....

Answer 48

Trevena and Miller

Question 49

how did Trevena and Miller challenge the findings of Soon et al?

Answer 49

said preconscious brain activity is a readiness to act, not an intention to make a particular decision