ID: Free Will Vs Determinism

Question 1

What is the debate for free will and det?

Answer 1

Should psychologists take a determinist approach to explaining human behaviour or one that dictates we have free will

Question 2

Define determinism

Answer 2

View the all behaviour is controlled by external/internal forces

Question 3

Define Free will

Answer 3

Notion that humans can make own choices, not determined by other forces

Question 4

Explain the main principle of scientific emphasis on causal explanations

Answer 4

All events in universe r due to external/internal factors so causes can be explained using general laws

Question 5

Why is knowledge of causes important?

Answer 5

It can allow scientists to predict and control future events

Question 6

What is the purpose of lab experiments?

Answer 6

To demonstrate causal relations

Question 7

Name 3 causal pointers

Answer 7

-All variables r controlled except iv
-Any change in DV is due to iv
-Control enables researchers to infer causality

Question 8

Define hard determinism

Answer 8

-fatalism
-suggests all behaviour has a cause + should be possible to identify
-everything we do is by external forces we cannot control
-free will = no possible

Question 9

Define soft determinism

Answer 9

-William James
-suggested all events including human behaviour have cause
-but also determined by our conscious choices in absence of coercion
-e.g - SLT

Question 10

What is coercion?

Answer 10

Being forced to do things

Question 11

Define environmental determinism?

Answer 11

-Factors caused by environmental forces such as systems of reward and punishment
-Skinner used free will as an illusion

Question 12

Define biological determinism

Answer 12

Behaviour caused by biological processes such as hormones, genes and evolutionary pressures on behaviour

Question 13

Define psychic determinism

Answer 13

Behaviour caused by unconscious conflicts we cannot control. Freud says no such thing accidents.

Question 14

Strength of free will

Answer 14

-practical value
-free will implies we have free choice everyday lives
-even if not the case, believing free will has positive impact on mental health
-Rebecca Robert’s et al studied adolescents who believed lives were determined by external factors (fatlism)
-study found at significantly greater risk of depression
-people with external LOC = less optimistic
Suggests even if no free will, belief of it has impact on mind and behaviour

Question 15

Limitation of free will

Answer 15

-brain scan evidence
-Benjamin libert instructed participants to flick wrist while he measured brain activity
-participants had to say when they felt conscious will to move
-found unconscious brain activity leading up to decision came half a second before conscious activity did
-implies even basic experiences may be determined

Question 16

Give a counter of last point (Benjamin)

Answer 16

-however libets findings show brain is involved in decision making which is expected
-just because action comes before conscious awareness, does not mean there was no decision to act
-decision just took time to reach consciousness

Question 17

Limitation of determinism

Answer 17

-The law doesn’t support determinsm
-offenders are responsible for own crime committed
-determinist stance says due to other factors
-in the real world, determinist arguments doesn’t work