Issues and debates - Free will and determinism

Question 1

What is determinism?

Answer 1

-Determinism is the idea that behaviours are the result of internal and/or external forces that we have no control over

Question 2

What are the different types of determinism?

Answer 2

• Biological determinism such as: Genes, brain structure and neurochemistry
• Environmental such as: Such as conditioning, social learning and an individuals cultural environment
• Psychic such as: Unconscious Freudian concepts such as the ID and defence mechanisms

Question 3

What is hard determinism?

Answer 3

-Hard determinism suggests that all events and behaviour can be completely described and predicted with no role for personal decision making (Free will)

Question 4

What is soft determinism?

Answer 4

-Soft determinism suggests that there is still some role for conscious decision making as an expression of free will, but behaviour is largely shaped by deterministic factors

Question 5

What is free will?

Answer 5

-Free will is the idea that our decisions and behaviour are as a result of personal conscious decision making unconstrained by deterministic factors

Question 6

What is the scientific emphasis?

Answer 6

-Using controlled conditions to demonstrate a causal relationship between the manipulation of the IV and changes to the dependant variable

Question 7

What is an advantage of free will?

Answer 7

• Free will had face validity as personal experience suggests that we make our decisions and act after conscious thought
• However determinists would argue that this is an illusion and decisions are made before we are consciously aware of them

Question 8

What is a disadvantage of the deterministic argument?

Answer 8

• Deterministic arguments for behaviour such as aggression is incompatible with the criminal justice system
• This is because determinists undermine the principle that the individual is fully accountable for their actions

Question 9

What is an advantage of psychic determinism?

Answer 9

-Psychologically deterministic theories also have implications for our understanding of correct child-rearing techniques, provision of education and causes for addiction

Question 10

Which approaches support hard determinism?

Answer 10

• Behaviourism
• Psychodynamic
• Biological

Question 11

What approaches support soft determinism?

Answer 11

• SLT

- Cognitive

Question 12

What approach supports free will?

Answer 12

-The humanistic approach

Question 13

How does the biological approach support hard determinism?

Answer 13

-The biological approach is strongly deterministic as it believes that behaviours are generated from biological roots and therefore they are outside conscious control

Question 14

How does behaviourism support hard determinism?

Answer 14

• Behaviourism is deterministic as it argues that behaviour is due to a stimulus/response reaction
• It is also argued that we feel like we have a choice when there is no threat of punishment, but even in those circumstances we are driven to choose whatever gave us pleasure in the past

Question 15

How does social learning theory support soft determinism?

Answer 15

-Social learning theory argues that humans have a level of choice in whether we imitate behaviour or not, but they still state that behaviour is dictated by experience

Question 16

How does the cognitive approach support soft determinism?

Answer 16

-The way we process information from the environment is determined by our past experiences (Schema) but cognitive psychology can also be said to argue for an element of free will as cognitive therapy requires the individual to change their thoughts

Question 17

How does the psychodynamic approach support hard determinism?

Answer 17

• The psychodynamic approach has a core assumption that our behaviour and thoughts are dictated by our unconscious mind
• This is because the approach believes that we have no control over our unconscious, so therefore it can be argued that the approach is strongly deterministic

Question 18

How does the humanistic approach support free will?

Answer 18

• The humanistic approach is the only approach that fully advocates the existence of free will and the idea that we chose our own path in life
• Humanism also rejects the scientific process, suggesting that free will is incompatible with science

Question 19

How do twin studies support soft determinism?

Answer 19

• High concordance rates in twins for disorders like schizophrenia indicate causality, however the findings are not 100% so this could support soft determinism
• This is because the biological factors aren’t 100% responsible for the development of Sz so it supports the theory that there are multiple deterministic factors which shape behaviour but there is also little free will and the role of external environmental factors

Question 20

How does research done by Libert support hard determinism?

Answer 20

• Neurological EEG research by Libert demonstrates that brain regions decide to act before consciousness is aware of making the decision, suggesting that there is no free will
• This has been backed up with FMRI research done by Hynes in 2008