Issues & Debates v2 Flashcards
define biological determinism
The idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes
define determinism
The idea that traits and behaviours are out of our control due to internal or external factors over which we have no control
define environmental determinism
The view that behaviour is determined or caused by forces outside the individual - our behaviour is caused by precious experience learned through classical and operant conditioning
define free will
Idea that we play an active role and have choice in how we behave and are self-determined
define hard determinism
View that forces out of our control shape our behaviour (aka fatalism)
define soft determinism
behaviour is constrained by our environment or biological makeup-up but only to a certain extent - therefore there is an element of choice and free will
define psychic determinism
Traits and behaviours are governed by unconscious instincts and drives - the cause of behaviours is rooted childhood experiences
Outline free will and determinism in psychology
Free will
- Notion that we are self-determining humans and free to choose our thoughts and actions
- Doesn’t ignore bio and environ factors but says we are free to reject these forces as masters of our destiny
- Advocated by humanistic approach
- Maslow and Roger’s stated that healthy self-development and self-actualisation is not possible without self determination
- Humans are accountable for their actions regardless of innate factors of the influences of early experiences
Determinism
- Idea that we have no control over our traits and behaviour
- Different types: hard, soft, psychic, environmental and biological
What are the strengths of free will?
- Has face validity: our everyday experiences give the impression that we have free will and we are free to exercise the choices we make e.g. it makes sense when we say we chose to wake up and eat cereal for breakfast
- Research to support: people with an internal locus of focus believe that their actions are due to their own choice and not external factors - higher degree of control = more mentally healthy; social influence research found those with internal locus of control resisted social influence more and followed their free will more
- Application to law system: we have moral responsibility for our actions from the age of 10 onwards which suggests that we have the ability to determine our own behaviour; criminal behaviour must be a choice, otherwise criminals would be roaming everywhere in society if it was out of our control to be one
What is the weakness of free will?
Neurological studies of decision making:
- Brain activity of choosing our choice between two simple choices is displayed up to 10 seconds before we are even consciously aware about the decision
- Suggests that our decisions are determined before we even make them
What are the advantages of determinism?
- Consistent with the aims of science: the notion that human behaviour follows established theories and laws makes psychology more respected and scientific as a discipline; biological determinism can be proven through brain scans and classical/operant conditioning can be observed in environmental determinism
- Helps in research of schizophrenia: drug therapies developed to help control symptoms of schizophrenia; SZ show loss of contact with reality and control so they cannot exercise free will; symptoms can be controlled by anti-psychotic drugs which suggests that biological determinism is at play
- Skinner + Support: Skinner believed free will is an illuion and all behaviour is a product of the environment; Libet et al (1983) found that motor regions of the brain became active before the person registers conscious awareness of the decision to move their finger (all decisions are pre-determined)
Outline the drawbacks of determinism
Doesn’t align with legal system
- Determinism suggests we have no control or free will over our actions
- But in a court of law, we are held morally accountable for our choices
- It would be unethical to prosecute an individual for doing something which is entirely out of their control
Define causal explanations in science.
- Science is very deterministic in finding casual explanations
- as it seeks to identify whether X caused Y
- or the independent variable has an effect on the dependent variable
Outline (AO1) the nature side of the nature-nuture debate
- Nature is the view that all of our behaviours are determined by innate biological factors that we have no control over
- Evolutionary psychologists support this side as their primary assumption is that any behaviour we have currently has evolved due to its survival value; Behaviour is a product of natural selection
- Twin studies found that schizophrenia is more influenced by nature than nuture
- Joseph (2004) found that MZ = 40%; DZ = 7% concordance rates for SZ which suggests that genes have a heavy influence on SZ
Outline (AO1) the nuture side of the nature-nuture debate
- Empiricists believe we are born as a ‘blank slate’ which is filled as we progress through life and gain experiences which is how we obtain traits and behaviours
- The behaviourist approach heavily lies on this side of the debate - believes that classical and operant conditioning is how we learn behaviours e.g. obtaining phobias
Give the advantages of the nature-nuture debate in psychology.
ADV 1: Psychopathology Application
- Genetic predesposition + environmental trigger = disorder (diathesis stress model);
- Finnish adoption study found that all of the reported cases of SZ were in disturbed fams
- High risk children in healthy environments had lower rates than the population
- But low risk children never developed SZ even in a disturbed environment
ADV 2: Neuroplasticity
- Idea that the brain can reorganise itself by forming new neural connections;
- Maguire (2000) found that experience can physically alter brain structures - shows the interaction between nature and nuture
Give the drawbacks of the nature-nuture debate.
DIS 1: Implications for nativism
- Nativists argue that ‘anatomy is destiny’ with little env. input
- Led to controversy in linking race, genetics and intelligence and application of eugenics policy
- There should be care in blaming nature as it can lead to controversial policies that hurt certain members of society
DIS 2: Implications for empiricism
- They argue any behaviour can be changed through behaviour shaping and modification through therapy
- Good behaviours reinforced and bad punished
- Could mean that we are puppets or prisoners of our environment
Define biological reductionism
Simplifying the cause of a behaviour to a physical level of neurons, hormones and brain structures etc. and ignore other factors
Define environmental reductionism
Behaviourists assumes that all behaviours can be reduced to stimulus-response associations and complex behaviours are a series of stimulus-response chains
Define holism
Idea that human behaviour should be viewed as a whole integrated experience and not as separate parts
Define reductionism
Belief that human behaviours can be explained by breaking it down into simpler components