I and D: free will vs determinism

Question 1

define free will

Answer 1

• Free will is the notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal or external forces.
• Belief in free will argues that there may be biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on our behaviour, but we can reject these forces as the masters of our own destiny

Question 2

define determinism

Answer 2

we have no choice over our actions
our behaviour is shaped by internal and external forces

Question 3

explain hard determinism

Answer 3

• sees free will as an illusion > every event has a cause
• behaviour is governed by internal and external forces that we can’t control
• it should be possible to find the cause of all behaviour

Question 4

explain soft determinism

Answer 4

William James: behaviour and traits are governed by internal and external forces to an extent but we have some element of control over our behvaiour

Question 5

types of hard determinism

Answer 5

• biological: governed by genetics, hormones and involuntary influences that we can’t control
• environmental: governed by environmental factors like punishment and reward that we can’t control
• psychic: behaviour is governed by unconscious conflicts that we repressed in childhood

Question 6

explain scientific emphasis on causal explanations

Answer 6

determinism allows for a c and e relationship > it suggests behaviour is governed by internal or external forces > this means we can predict behaviour
allows us to test behaviour with lab experiments and control EVs so we can find c and e

This allows us to establish general laws on human behaviour

Question 7

AO3: case against determinism

Answer 7

psychologists often reject determinism as it provides potential excuse for criminal actions

eg: in 1981 Stephen Mobley argued he was ‘born to kill’ after killing a pizza shop manager > said his family had disposition towards violent aggressive behaviour
court rejected this and gave him lethal injection

WEAKNESS as a truly deterministic view is undesirable as it excuses crimes and removes responsibility and shows determinism is incompatible with law

Question 8

AO3: case for determinism

Answer 8

it’s consistent with aims of science
allows general laws to be established
prediction of behaviour has led to development of therapy, treatments and intervention
EG: drug therapy uses SSRIs to manage SZ
conditions like SZ suggest the patient loses control of behaviour and has no free will, so some behaviours caused by mental health are deterministic

Question 9

case for free will

Answer 9

has positive benefits for individuals
study by Roberts et al showed adolescents with strong beliefs in fatalism were at higher risk of depression > this shows high degrees of internal locus of control is healthier

STRENGTH even if we don’t have free will thinking that we do has a positive impact

Question 10

case against free will

Answer 10

believing in free will allows people to feel control over their mental condition
Patients feel empowered, responsible and it removes a sense of helplessness that their condition may be inevitable.

However believing in free will suggests that patients have a choice and they are responsible for their mental health disorders. This creates stigma as we no longer see mental health disorders as medical concepts that needs specialist treatment.