Issues And Debates: Free Will And Determinism Flashcards
What is determinism?
The view that an individuals behaviour is shared or controlled by internal (biological) or external forces, meaning our behaviour should be predictable
What is free will?
The notion that as humans, we are free to choose our own thoughts and actions, this views humans as self determining, meaning they have an active role in controlling their behaviour and are not acting in response to internal or external forces
What is hard determinism?
The view that free will is not possible as our behaviour is always caused by internal or external events beyond our control
What is soft determinism?
The idea that behaviour is to an extent governed by internal and external forces, however we still have some level of control over it
What is environmental determinism (hard determinism)?
The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (such as systems of reward and punishment) that we cannot control, for example conditioning with the token economy, same as behaviourist approach, differential association theory (where behaviour is learnt from others), agents of socialisation (where people become agents to society’s norms)
What did Skinner believe about free will?
‘Free will is an illusion’, he said this in order to demonstrate the vast number of influences and pressures that take place on our decision-making process, believing that free will depends on so many factors that we can never say it’s totally free
What is biological determinism (hard determinism)?
The belief that behaviour is caused by biological (genetic, evolutionary, hormonal) influences that we cannot control, for example mental health stemming from a genetic basis
What is psychic determinism (hard determinism)?
The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts we cannot control e.g. Freud - biological drives and instincts
What is the humanistic approach (free will)?
The belief that individuals are in control of their own behaviour and are trying to achieve personal growth and reach self-actualisation by removing psychological barriers
What did Philosopher James do in (1890)
He believed that determinism and free will were compatible, leading to his invention of the term ‘soft determinism’
Evaluation for free will / against determinism
Research suggests that a stronger belief in free will is associated with positive behaviors and outcomes like better academic and work performance, less cheating, and more prosocial behavior
Inconsistent with our justice system. The basis of moral responsibility is that an individual is in charge of their own actions (free will) besides children and mentally ill people.
Evaluation for determinism / against free will
A study found that adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism were at a significantly greater risk of developing depression
A study showed that the brain activity that determines the outcome of simple choices predated our own knowledge of having made such a choice. Participants showed brain activity up to 0.2 seconds before they were consciously aware of making a decision to press a button. This strongly argues against the notion of free will and indicates that basic human behaviour is determined by our brain before we are even aware of it
