Freewill/determinism Flashcards
The freewill position
-Proposes that our behaviour is down to our own choice
-We can choose freely how we behave
The determinist position
-Suggests that our behaviour is determined by factors outside our control
Biological determinism
When the factors that determine how we behave are genetic
Environmental determinism
When the factors that determine how we behave are to do with our upbringings, or physical/social circumstances
What behaviours might we able to predict, due to determinism?
-Sporting ability
-Intelligence
Which studies support determinism?
-Bandura et al
-Loftus and Palmer
How does Bandura et al support determinism?
-Suggests how children behave is likely to be influenced/determined by adult behaviour
-Socially learned imitation
How does Loftus and Palmer support determinism?
-Suggests that even minor things can have a determining influence on what we remember
-Such as minor verbs used in questions
Which study supports both sides of the debate?
Milgram’s study of obedience
How does Milgram’s study support determinism?
-The prompts
-The experimenter
-Yale University
-Payment
How does Milgram’s study support freewill?
-35% of participants didn’t obey to 450V
Strengths of claiming behaviour is due to freewill
-Not socially sensitive, as people like to think they control their behaviour
-Useful, as people can be held accountable for their behaviour
-Has face validity, as people often feel their behaviours are choices
Weaknesses of claiming behaviour is due to freewill
-Hard to prove, the ‘freewill’ could just be due to a different determinant
-Suggests no pattern to behaviour, reducing the usefulness of research
-Socially sensitive as people may feel uncomfortable knowing they are responsible for their actions
Strengths of claiming behaviour is due to determinism
-Open to positive uses, knowing what causes positive behaviour can help us replicate it
-Scientific, as often arises from controlled experiments that establish cause and affect
-Recognises people cannot always be blamed for their actions
Weaknesses of claiming behaviour is due to determinism
-Open to harmful uses, such as lawyers uses determinist explanations to defend guilty people
-Socially sensitive, as people may feel uncomfortable not controlling their own actions
-Can be reductionist if researchers look for one cause of a behaviour
