Free Will vs Determinism

Question 1

What is Free Will?

Answer 1

• the idea that as human beings we are essentially self-determining and free to choose ourthoughts and actions- central in the humanistic approach to psychology.
  -Humanists do not deny thatbiological and environmental factors influence behaviour, but maintain that we are able to override these forces and make deliberate choices.

Question 2

Describe Determinism

Answer 2

Hard determinists argue that everything we think and do is dictated by internal or externalforces that we cannot control.

There are 4 more types, Environmental Determinism, Biological, Psychic, Soft

Question 3

Environmental Determinism

Answer 3

Humans, like other animals, learn to behave in particular ways over time as they interact with their environment.
Although we might think we are acting independently, our behaviour has been shaped by environmental events, e.g parents

Question 4

Biological Determinism

Answer 4

-Many of our physiological and neurological (brain) processes are clearly not under our
consciouscontrol.
-Biological determinists argue that this these same dynamics cause all human
behaviour.

Question 5

Psychic Determinism

Answer 5

Human behaviour is driven by subconscious psychic forces outside of consciousness and beyond direct control.

Question 6

Soft determinism:

Answer 6

The idea that whilst behaviour is constrained by biology and environment that individuals still have some capacity to make their own choices.

Question 7

A03 Determinism - Criminal Implications

Answer 7

• Hard determinism suggests criminals cannot be held accountable for their actions.
• Deterministic explanations for behaviour reduce individual responsibility.
• A person arrested for a violent attack for example might plead that they were not responsible for their behaviour – it was due to their up bringing, recent relationship stresses, or a psychiatric problem.
• In other words, their behaviour was determined.
• Our criminal justice system currently focuses upon individuals’ choices and rehabilitation.
  -This means that if all behaviour is deterministic – our legal and justice system in incorrect.

Question 8

A03 - Therapies and sz

Answer 8

• Determinism aligns with the goals of science, as it assumes that human behavior is orderly and follows laws. -This places psychology on the same level as other well-established sciences.

0One benefit of determinism is its role in helping predict and control behavior.
- This has led to the development of effective treatments, therapies, and interventions, such as psychotherapeutic drugs used to manage schizophrenia.
-For example, schizophrenia, which causes individuals to lose control over their thoughts and actions, challenges the idea of free will—after all, no one would choose to have schizophrenia.

However, we must also question hard determinism. If hard determinism fully explained disorders like schizophrenia, therapies based on free will, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), would not work. Yet CBT is widely used and effective for many disorders, showing that free will can play a role in treatment.

Question 9

A03 - Interactionists interweave

Answer 9

-Without free-will people would be unable to
overcome some addictive behaviours or possibly stay with one partner in romantic relationships.
=The deterministic approach neglects areas such as guilt, knowledge of right or wrong etc.