Issues and Debates: Free Will vs Determinism

Question 1

What is free will?

Answer 1

Human beings are free to choose our behaviours, thoughts and actions
Ability to reject the external and internal pressures and self-determine our own destiny

Question 2

What is determinism?

Answer 2

All behaviour is controlled and caused by external or internal factors and individuals have no free wil over their behaviour

Question 3

What is hard determinism?

Answer 3

All human behaviour is a result of external or internal causes that we cannot control as individuals.
Free will doesn’t play a role so individuals don’t have any choice

Question 4

What is an example of hard determinism?

Answer 4

Individual’s vulnerability to developing OCD is caused by internal factors such as the inheritence of a mutated SERT gene which causes anxiety

Question 5

What is soft determinism?

Answer 5

All human behaviour is a result of external or internal causes, but we have the ability to make conscious decisions

Question 6

What is an example of soft determinism?

Answer 6

In SLT, we learn behaviour through observing a model and imitiating them, however, out thought ptocess plays a role as to whether or not we identify someone as a role model or not

Question 7

What is biological determinism?

Answer 7

Human behaviour is controlled by biological factors such as genetics, evolution and hormones
E.g., addiction can be encouraged through lower levels of D2 receptors

Question 8

What is environmental determinism?

Answer 8

Behaviour is controlled by external factors within individual’s surroundings such as parents,society
E.g., Infant learns to attach to their caregiver via stimulus

Question 9

What is psychic determinism?

Answer 9

Human behaviour is controlled by unconscious conflict within mind
E.g., anxious personality could be caused by overactive super ego

Question 10

What is the scientific emphasis on causal explanations?

Answer 10

One of the laws of science is that every event in the universe has a cause and effect which can be explained using general laws

Question 11

What can we do if we understand what causes something?

Answer 11

We can understand how to predict and control it in the future

Question 12

What do we carry out in psychology?

Answer 12

Scientific research (controlled lab experiments)

Question 13

What does scientific research show?

Answer 13

One factor leads to a certian result without any other variables having an influence, so a causal relationship will be established

Question 14

What can determinism provide us with?

Answer 14

A causal explanation as it shows cause and effect between two factors

Question 15

What is some AO3 for determinism?

Answer 15

Practical Applications
If we know cause of abnormal behaviour in society (Sz), easier to develop treatments
It is unlikely people would choose to have Sz and experience total loss of control over their thought and behaviour, using a deterministic stance helps increase dopaming activity in the brain (atypical/typical drugs)
Reduce positive symptoms
Important part of applied psychology

Question 16

What is some AO3 for hard determinism?

Answer 16

Inconsistent with the idea of self-control and responsibility which has implications for the British Legal System
Suggests all human behaviour is a result of internal and external factors and that we have no control over our behaviour
In court of law, offenders are considered morally accountable for their actions, which suggests individual free will plays a role in whether or not somone commits a crime
Restricts the use of determinism in real world