Free will vs Determinism (Essay plan)

Question 1

Essay example (A01 plan)

Answer 1

Discuss the free will and determinism debate in psychology (16 marks)

Outline (A01)= Determinism
- Soft/Hard
- Biological
- Environmental
- Psychic
WITH EXAMPLES!!!!

Outline (A01)= Free will
- Free will- humanist example.

Question 2

A03: Point 1

Answer 2

Humanist evidence against determinism.
- Twin studies= MZ studies typically find an 80% similarity in intelligence scores and a 40% similarity in the likelihood of depression.
- However, as identical twins share 100% of their genes, these results suggest that 20% is caused by other (environmental) factors.
- This demonstrates that biological determinism is unable to explain any particular behaviour in this case depression and intelligence.
- The same evidence indicates that no behaviour is completely environmentally determined.
- This is a limitation with biological and environmental determinism.

Question 3

A03: Point 3

Answer 3

Determinism provides an ‘excuse’ for behaviour/ criminal acts.
- Stephen Mobley argued that he was ‘born to kill’ after killing a pizza shop manager, because his family had a disposition towards violence= this argument was rejected in court.
- Therefore a hard deterministic position may be undesirable as it provides an ‘excuse’ allowing people to mitigate their own responsibility/ liability, and could lead to problematic legal issues regarding the nature of responsibility and intent.

Question 4

A03: Point 3

Answer 4

Free will is an illusion.
- Skinner argues that free will is an illusion.
- Libet et al (1983) found that the motor regions of the brain become active before a person registers conscious awareness of a decision.