✓ Free Will vs. Determinism (AO1)

Question 1

What is free will?

Answer 1

being self-determining + free to choose our thoughts & actions

ultimately being the ‘master of your own destiny’
e.g. humanistic approach - maslow & self-actualisation

Question 2

Which behaviourist psychologist doesn’t believe in free will?

Answer 2

Skinner (operant conditioning) believed that free will was an illusion
- we can decide between different actions but we don’t necessarily have free will
- all behaviour is caused by the environment & conditioning

Question 3

What is determinism?

Answer 3

the view that our behaviour is governed by internal or external forces

Question 4

What are the 5 types of determinism?

Answer 4

biological
psychic
environmental
hard-soft

Question 5

What is biological determinism?

Answer 5

behaviour is caused by our genes
e.g. testosterone & anger

Question 6

What is psychic determinism?

Answer 6

behaviour is caused by innate drives & early experiences
e.g. id (psychodynamic approach)

Question 7

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 7

behaviour is caused by previous experiences
e.g. classical/operant conditioning (behaviourist approach)

Question 8

What is hard determinism?

Answer 8

all human behaviour has a cause - there is no such thing as free will

Question 9

What is soft determinism?

Answer 9

all human behaviour has a cause BUT there’s room for choice: ppl have mental control over how they behave