issues and debates - free will vs determinism Flashcards
what is the free will vs determinism debate?
it is the idead that our behaviour is a matter of free will or whether we have a set of internal/ external influence that determines us.
what is free will?
we are self determining and free to choose our own thoughts and actions
example of free will:
roger’s approach = discover their own solutions to their problems therefore making their own choices.
what is determinism?
is the view that freewill is an illusion and that our behaviour is caused by internal/ external forces we have no control over.
what are the two types of determinism?
soft and hard.
what is soft determinism?
constrained by the environment or biological makeup but only to a certain extent, it has elements of free will.
what is hard determinism?
internal and external forces outside of our control shape our behaviour, incompatible with free will.
what is biological determinism?
that all human behaviour is innate and determined by an individual’s genetic makeup - biological approach.
lewis (1936)
37% = parents of patients had ocd
21% = has siblings with ocd.
overall this suggests that there is a genetic inherited vulnerability.
more information about lewis (1936)
one variation of the COMT gene results in higher dopamine and this variation is more common in patients with OCD
lewis (1936) - SERT gene
affects the transport of serotonin, transportation issues can lead to lower levels of serotonin to be active within the brain and can be associated with OCD.
what is environmental determinism?
behaviour is caused by the forces outside the individual and it’s caused by previous experiences.
who describes free will as an ‘illusion’
skinner argued that behaviour is the result of conditioning and our experience is a choice of reinforcement.
what is psychic determinism?
behaviour is the result of childhood experiences and innate drives.
who else agreed that free will is an ‘illusion’?
freud emphasised the influence of the biological drives and instincts and that we are directed by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood.
