Issues and Debates- Free Will vs Determinism Flashcards
What Does Free Will Suggest?
The concept of free will suggests that as human beings we’re free to choose our behaviours, thoughts, actions.
There may be external or internal forces that can impact this choice.
Free will believes we have the ability to reject pressures and self-determine own destiny.
What Does Determinism Suggest?
Argues all behaviour’s controlled and caused by internal/ external factors, individuals have no free will over behaviour.
Types of Determinism: Hard Determinism
All human behaviour’s a result of internal/ external causes that we can’t control as individuals.
Free will doesn’t play a role, individuals don’t have a choice in behaviour they display.
e.g. believed individuals vulnerability to developing OCD’s caused by internal factors e.g. inheritance of mutated SERT gene which causes anxiety.
Types of Determinism: Soft Determinism
All human behaviour’s a result of internal/ external causes, but we have ability to make conscious decisions about what we want in life, can also impact human behaviour.
e.g. in the social learning theory we learn behaviour through observing and imitating a model, our thought processes must play a role as to whether or not we identify someone as a role model.
Types of Determinism: Biological Determinism
Human behaviour’s controlled by biological factors e.g. genetics, evolution, hormones.
Addiction to substance can be encouraged through low levels of D2 receptors.
Types of Determinism: Environmental Determinism
Behaviour’s controlled by external factors within individual’s surroundings e.g. school, peers.
An infant learns to attach to caregiver via stimulus, response, association with food provided.
Types of Determinism: Psychic Determinism
Human behaviour’s controlled by unconscious conflict within mind, which have been repressed from early childhood.
Anxious personality can be caused by an overactive superego.
Scientific Emphasis on Causal Explanations
In psychology if we can carry out scientific research e.g. controlled lab experiment, which shows one factor leads to a certain result, without any other variables having an influence, then causal relationship will be established.
Determinism can provide us with causal explanation as it shows cause and effect between two factors.
AO3: Free Will vs Determinism: Prac Apps
P: Concept of determinism’s highly scientific in nature, from research it’s possible to predict behaviour and to control/ treat it.
E: Leads to prac apps, we know the cause of abnormal behaviour in society, e.g. high levels of dopamine caused Sz, easier for us to develop treatments.
E: e.g. it’s unlikely anyone in society would choose to have Sz, experience total loss of control over thoughts and behaviour, using deterministic stance has led to drugs being developed to reduce positive symptoms of Sz.
L: Determinism’s an important part of applied psychology.
AO3: Free Will vs Determinism: Inconsistency
P: Although it’s led to prac apps, development of treatments, hard determinism’s inconsistent with idea of self control and responsibility which has implications for British legal system.
E: Hard determinism suggests all human behaviour’s a result of internal and external factors and that we have no choice over behaviour.
E: In court of law, offenders considered morally accountable for actions, suggesting individuals free will plays role in whether or not someone commits a crime.
L: Restricts use of determinism in real world when explaining behaviour.
AO3: Free Will vs Determinism: Positive Stance
P: Belief in self control and personal choice from perspective of free will seen as more positive stance than determinism.
E: Allows people to believe they have choice over behaviour, may have positive effect on mental health.
E: e.g. research suggests people who believe they have high influence over their own behaviour tend to be more mentally healthy compared to those who don’t.
L: Suggests that even if we don’t have free will, the fact we think we do may have a positive impact on mind and behaviour.
