Freewill And Determinism Debate

Question 1

What is the debate?

Answer 1

Are we in control of our thoughts and behaviour? The debate considers whether behaviour is caused by the will of the individual or caused by forces (internal or external) over which the person has no control.

Question 2

What is free will?

Answer 2

The freewill approach argues that we are essentially self-determining and free to choose our own thoughts and actions. Behaviour is under the control of the ‘will’ of the individual rather than biological or external forces.

A belief in freewill does not deny that there may be biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on our behaviour, but nevertheless implies that we are able to reject these forces as masters of our own destiny.

Question 3

What is determinism?
1
2

Answer 3

In contrast determinism proposes that freewill has no place in explaining behaviour
. Instead it proposes that all human thought and behaviour is controlled by forces outside of the individual’s control.

These forces may be INTERNAL - biological, or psychic, or EXTERNAL - environment.
Although there are hard and soft versions.

Question 4

What is Hard determinism?

Answer 4

Hard determinism adopts an extreme deterministic position as it argues that free will is not possible as all human thought and behaviour is caused by internal or external forces outside of the person’s control.

Question 5

How is the Hard determinism approach compatible with the aims of science?
1
2

Answer 5

To uncover causal laws that govern thought and behaviour - it always assumes that everything we think and do is dictated by internal or external forces that we cannot control.

To predict and control - if behaviour is totally determined it allows us to predict how someone will act in the future and to control their behaviour.

Question 6

What is soft determinism?

Answer 6

Soft determinism argues that whilst all behaviour does have a cause (in terms of our biological make-up or from learning through experience)
it also acknowledges that behaviour can also be determined by our own conscious choices.

This is a compromise between the freewill and determinism debate as it allows both human behaviour to be determined and for people to exercise freewill at the same time. It allows people some conscious control over how they act.
This can be seen in the way that we have the freedom to make rational conscious choices in everyday situations.

Question 7

What approach adopted a hard determinism approach?

Answer 7

Behaviourist

Question 8

What approach is an example of soft determinism?

Answer 8

Cognitive Psychology adopts a ‘soft deterministic’ approach as it considers that our mental processes e.g. problem solving and perception allow us to choose our own behaviour (freewill)

However, whilst it appears we can choose what we pay attention to, our mental processes can only operate within the limits of what we know (our past experiences).

Question 9

3 other types of determinism:

Answer 9

Biological determinism
environmental determinism
psychic determinism

Question 10

What is biological determinism?

Including (4)

Answer 10

a type of internal determinism

Biological determinism is the belief that all behaviour and thought is caused by biological influences

• including the controlling role of 1different parts of the brain on 2behaviour, the hormonal system,
  3evolutionary forces
  4and genes
  that we cannot control.

Question 11

Examples of Biological determinism.
1
2
3

Answer 11

predisposition of offending behaviour
caused by combination of risk genes

predisposition schizophrenia is caused by high levels of Dopamine neurotransmitters in brain.

Speech difficulties is caused by damage to brocas area.

Question 12

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 12

A type of external determinism.

Environmental determinism is the idea that behaviour is caused by features in the environment and is under the control of environmental stimuli and external forces of rewards and punishment.
The Behaviourist Approach represents the extreme in environmental determinism.

Question 13

Examples of environmental determinism.
(3)

1
2
3

Answer 13

Treating phobias - behaviourist approach
Assumes cause of behaviour is learnt so systematic desensitisation: unlearn the phobia

Mental health disorders can he caused by environmental factors

Aggression caused by observational learning (bandura)

Question 14

What is psychic determinism?

Example:

Answer 14

A type of internal determinism

Psychic determinism is the belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious forces that we cannot control, in particular biological instincts of sex and aggression and repressed conflicts from childhood.

childhood experiences shape adult behaviour FREUDS theory.

Question 15

Freewill determinism debate.
Approaches continuum

Freewill

Soft D

Hard D

Answer 15

FW: HUMANISM

SOFT: COGNITIVE

SLT

HARD: BIO, BEH, PSYCHO

Question 16

Key approaches and the debate:

Free will:

Answer 16

Humanism

People direct their lives to self-chosen goals - as seen in humanistic therapies

Question 17

Key approaches and the debate:
Determinism

Answer 17

Behaviourism
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM - there are no choices - behaviour is totally determined by reinforcement and punishment

Psychodynamic
PSYCHIC DETERMINISM- behaviour is determined by unconscious forces - although the person may think they are acting freely as the reasons for behaviour are explained by the conscious mind

Biological approach
BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM - there are biological limitations on freedom and choice (an element of environmental determinism also as environment is partly dictated by biological factors)

Question 18

Key approaches and the debate:
Soft Determinism

1approach
2approach

Answer 18

people select what to attend to so choose their own thoughts (freewill) but these choices are determined by innate capabilities and past experiences

Social Learning Theory
Environment determines behaviour through the role models that we are exposed to, however mediating cognitive factors allow us to make a choice of how to behave so there is an element of freewill.

Question 19

Application of the debate to topics

Topic one: FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM
Why are genetic explanations for offender behaviour deterministic?

Answer 19

genetic exp for crime are deterministic as they assume that criminals inherit a gene that predisposes them to crime. This implies that they have no control over their actions as their biology is controlling them.

Evidence
Genetic analysis of 900 offenders showed that individuals who had the risk combination of genes were 13x likely to have a history of violent behaviour. This suggests that crime is at least partly determined by genetics.

Question 20

Application of the debate to topics

Topic one: FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHIC DETERMINISM
Why are psychodynamic explanations for offender behaviour deterministic?

Answer 20

criminal behaviour is caused by unconscious conficit rooted in childhood.
interactions with parents determine the type of superego that the child internalles - If they internalise a deficient superego they are more likely to commit crime
Implies people have no conciliatory control over whether they commit crime (freewill)

Evidence:

There is no evidence to support the
idea that unconscious Forces
determine crime as these concepts are unfalsifiable.

Question 21

Application of the debate to topics

Topic one: FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINISM (EXTERNAL)
Why do behaviour modification programmes (Token economies) suggest that offender behaviour is determined by environmental factors?

Answer 21

Token economy change unwanted criminal behaviour through selective reinforcement.
Working on the assumption that criminal behaviour has been caused by people in our environment.

Question 22

Freewill and the Law

Why are the deterministic explanations we have looked at incompatible with our legal system?

Answer 22

In the UK legal system, people are seen as morally and legally responsible for their own behaviour and this is consistent with the assumption that people act within their own freewill.
Determinism: they assume that cause of behaviour is determined and we don’t have free will.

Question 23

Topic two: therapies for psychological disorders

Humanism and freewill
Approach for free will

Answer 23

The humanist approach is the nearest one can get to freewill in psychology. The theories of Rogers and Maslow stress freewill and the power of the individual to direct their lives according to self- chosen goals.

Question 24

Topic two: therapies for psychological disorders

Free will:
1
2

Bio approach
1

Answer 24

The concept was central to Roger’s client centred therapy in that people are seen as being free to effect change in their lives by choosing to see their situation differently. Having removed the psychological barriers that may be preventing personal growth, people are free to work towards their potential (self-actualisation)

Elements of free will for schizophrenia: patient decides on own coping strategies
which they choose to implement with home work or not

Bio approach is Deterministic view

Drug treatments works on the assumption that cause of mental illness is due to faulty NTs so work by changing these

Question 25

The scientific emphasis on causal explanations

One of the basic principles of science is
1
2

Answer 25

that every event has a cause and that causes can be explained using general laws.
Knowledge of causes and the formation of laws are important as they allow scientists to predict and control
events in the future.

Use lab exp

Question 26

How do deterministic and freewill explanations fit with scientific enquiry?

Determinism v Freewill

Science is deterministic because it seeks to establish cause and effect relationships:

Answer 26

D compatible with science
All 3 types of determinism assume our behaviour is caused by factors outside of our control.

F incompatible with science
The idea of choice is not compatible with science as it means causal laws cannot be established. HUMANISM

Question 27

How do deterministic and freewill explanations fit with scientific enquiry?

Determinism v Freewill

Science aims to predict and control behaviour

Answer 27

D compatible with science
All deterministic explanations allow prediction of behaviour e.g. behaviourism can predict a person’s future behaviour based on knowledge of their reinforcement history.
Behaviour can also be controlled through altering patters of reinforcement.

F is incompatible with science because…
It is not possible to predict a person’s behaviour as it is the result of freewill - a person may choose to act differently to the same stimuli on a different occasion.

Question 28

Evaluation Determinism
S
S
L
L

Answer 28

S: Determinism is compatible with the aims of science
S: Mental disorders appear to support determinism

L: Determinism doesn’t fit with our notions of legal responsibility
L: Determinism is un-falsifiable

Question 29

Evaluation Determinism

Determinism is compatible with the aims of science

Answer 29

The notion that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws gives psychology the credibility of the more establishes sciences.

In addition, the value of such research is that the prediction and control of human behaviour has led to the development of treatments and behavioural interventions that have a deterministic stance have led to many useful practical applications.

Question 30

Evaluation Determinism

Mental disorders appear to support determinism

Answer 30

In the experience of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, patients lose control of their thoughts and behaviour.

This casts doubt on the notion of freewill as no one would choose to have such symptoms. At least in terms of mental disorders then, behaviour would appear to be determined.

Question 31

Evaluation Determinism

Determinism doesn’t fit with our notions of legal responsibility

Answer 31

Determinism is inconsistent with society’s ideas of self-control and personal responsibility. These ideas form the basis of our moral and legal assumptions. In a court of law, offenders are held morally accountable for their actions, only in extreme examples of determinism are taken into account in legal cases e.g. insanity.

This is a limitation as it means that deterministic explanations may not apply to all aspects of human behaviour.

Question 32

Evaluation Determinism

Determinism is un-falsifiable

Answer 32

Although determinism is considered scientific, as an approach it is un-falsifiable. It is based on the idea that causes of behaviour will always exist even though they may not have been found. This means that as a basic principle it is impossible to prove wrong.

This suggests that the deterministic approach to human behaviour does not meet all the criteria of a science (must be falsifiable-capable of being proven wrong) and may not be as scientific as it first appears.

Question 33

Evaluation Free Will
S
S
L
Neutral

Answer 33

S: The idea of freewill fits with every day experience of decision making
S: A belief in freewill has a positive impact on behaviour.
L: The concept of freewill is not compatible with science
L: A compromise…?

Question 34

Evaluation Free Will

The idea of freewill fits with every day experience of decision making

Answer 34

Much of our time is spent making decisions in situations where several different options are available. This suggests that we exercise free choice and free will on a daily basis.

This is a strength as it gives face validity to the concept of freewill - it makes cognitive sense.

Question 35

Evaluation Free Will
A belief in freewill has a positive impact on behaviour.

Answer 35

Research suggests that people who have an internal locus of control - believing they have a high degree of control over events and their own behaviour - tend to be more psychologically healthy.

For example, research shows that adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism (that their lives were decided by events outside of their control) were at significantly greater risk of developing depression.

This suggests that, even if we do not have freewill, the fact we think we do may have a positive impact on the

mind and behaviour.

Question 36

Evaluation Free Will

The concept of freewill is not compatible with science

Answer 36

The lack of operational definition means that ‘freewill’ or ‘soft determinism’ cannot meet the rigours of scientific testing. It cannot be tested, measured or observed. If all behaviour is based on free will then it is difficult to predict and causal laws causal laws cannot be established.

This means that free will explanations are not particularly useful for psychology as they do not allow us to progress as a subject in terms of developing our understanding in terms of establish laws of behaviour that apply to all.

Question 37

Evaluation Free Will

A compromise…?

Answer 37

Typically, an interactionist position may provide us with the best compromise in the free-will determinism debate.

Those approaches in psychology that have a cognitive element, such as cognitive psychology and social learning theory, are those that tend to adopt a soft-deterministic position.
For instance, Bandura argued that although environmental factors in learning are key, we are free to choose who or what we attend to and when to perform certain behaviours.