Issues and Debates- Free Will and Determinism Flashcards
What is free will?
People are able to choose how to behave- their behaviour isn’t a response to external or biological factors and isn’t influenced by past behaviour
How can people explain behaviours according to free will?
In terms of decisions and intentions
How is free will subjective?
Someone might think they’re choosing how to behave but actually be influenced by other forces
How is free will related to psychological disorders?
Some people with psychological disorders don’t appear to have free will
What is determinism?
All of the physical events in the universe occur in cause and effect relationships so our thoughts, beliefs and behaviours are determined by past events and causes
What kind of view is determinism?
Scientific as it implies that complete knowledge of a cause and effect relationship will mean you can predict future behaviour in the same situation
Why is determinism unfalsifiable?
It can’t be proved wrong because it assumes that events can be the result of forces that haven’t been discovered yet
Why are most psychological approaches seen as determinist to a certain extent?
Because they look for patterns and causes of behaviour
What is hard determinism?
Completely rules out the idea of free will
What is soft determinism?
The viewpoint that we choose our behaviour but the choices we make are a result of our own personality traits and intentions
What is the view of the psychodynamic approach?
Psychic determinism- Freud argued that behaviour is determined by unconscious forces, however he also acknowledged that behaviours have many causes including conscious intentions
What is the view of the biological approach?
Biological determinism- behaviours are determined by biological influences and this is the sole cause of behaviour
What is the view of the cognitive approach?
Behaviour is the result of both free will and determinism- approach looks for patterns in how the brain processes external information and what behaviours this leads to, however it acknowledges that people use cognitive processes to reason and make decisions
What is the view of the behaviourist approach?
Environmental determinism- behaviour is determined by the environment and the result of consequences
What is the view of the humanistic approach?
Free will- humanistic psychologists believe that individuals are in control of their behaviour and are trying to achieve personal growth
