free will vs determinism Flashcards
what is meant by determinism?
The belief that behaviour is controlled by external or internal factors acting upon the individual and beyond their control.
what is meant by free will?
Each individual has the power to make choices about their behaviour, without
being determined by internal or external forces beyond their control. A common feature of
the humanistic approach.
what is meant by biological determinism?
The view that behaviour is always caused by internal biological
forces beyond our control, such as the influence of genes.. Also, genes which affect brain structure and neurotransmitter production (i.e. serotonin and dopamine) may also determine our behaviour. Can be applied to biological approach
what is meant by environmental determinism?
behaviour controlled by external influences such as parents and society. can be applied to the behaviourist approach
what is meant by psychic determinism?
behaviour controlled by unconscious fears and desires such as traumatic events in the past rooted in childhood experiences.
what is meant by soft determinism?
states how there is still an element of choice in our behaviour, while it is predictable it is not inevitable, even if biology may determine behaviour or social factors
what is meant by hard determinism?
no free will with traits and behaviours entirely outside the individual’s control
what is meant by scientific determinism?
science centres itself around determinism as we search for cause and effect relationships
strengths of determinism
is an effective perspective in developing disorders such as drug treatments to address faulty neurotransmission
there is an emphasis on cause and effect - increases the validity of the theory
limitations of determinism
issue with genetic / biological determinism is that genes are never found to be a 100% cause. this may suggest determinism may not be a full explanation of behaviour. this statement may also be the same for environmentalism
implications for the legal system - may result in criminal behaviours having excuses which would have ethical implications on society.
Determinism is limited in regard to real life applications as society takes a different view, as our legal system focuses on the idea of offenders being morally accountable
strengths of free will
free will is a culturally relative idea for individualistic cultures as collectivist cultures place a greater focus on the group needs centring towards determinism
roberts et al (2000) showed an external locus of control was associated with an increased chance of depression therefore suggesting the free will (internal locus of control) was beneficial in behaviour
limitations of free will
sometimes, free will is just an illusion as the result may be the same dependent on any of the choices. this would suggest determinism plays a greater role in determining behaviour
Challenge to the idea of free will — Benjamin Libet et al (1983) recorded activity in motor areas of the brain before the person had a conscious awareness to move their
finger. Chun Soon et al (2008) found activity in the prefrontal cortex up to 10 seconds before a person was aware of their decision to act. This suggests that the motor activity preceding movement occurred before the conscious decision was made, and so implies
that all behaviour is pre-determined by up to 10 seconds.
