The free will - determinism debate Flashcards
Describe what is meant by the term free will
the notion that humans can make conscious choices that are not determined by biological or external factors
Describe what is meant by determinism
the view that an individuals traits and behaviours are outside their control and are due to internal or external factors
What are the two types of determinism?
Describe each with 2 points
hard determinism-all human behaviour has a cause which should be possible to identify
-everything a person says does and thinks is caused by internal/external forces they can’t control
soft determinism-all human behaviour has a cause but an individual does have some conscious control over the way they behave
-can be seen as a compromise between hard determinism and free will
Scientific emphasis on causal explanations in hard determinism:
Make 4 points about this
-hard determinism fits with the aims of science
-one of the basic principles of science is that every event in the universe has a cause
-this allows scientists to predict and control future events
-in psychology , lab studies enable researchers to investigate the cause of behaviour by minimising the chance of EVs
What are the three types of hard determinism?
Explain each
biological determinism-belief that behaviour is caused by biological aspects such as genes and hormones
environmental determinism-belief that behaviour is caused by external forces such as experience , upbringing , learning and parents that we can’t control
psychic determinism-belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious instincts and drives , the cause of behaviour is rooted in childhood experiences
What evidence is there to support biological determinism
7 pieces
-CR of twins for OCD/schizophrenia
-basal ganglia and serotonin in OCD
-MAOA gene and aggression
-testosterone in aggression
-XX/XY genes in gender development
-dopamine hypothesis of SZ
-Bowlbys Monotropic Theory of attachment
What evidence is there to support environmental determinism
6 pieces
-Pavlov and Skinner’s research
-case study of Little Albert
-situational variables affecting obedience
-learning theory of attachment
-SLT
-family dysfunction explanation of SZ
What evidence is there to support psychic determinism
3 pieces
-family dysfunction explanation of SZ
-frustration-aggression hypothesis
-psychodynamic approach to gender development
What evidence is there to support soft determinism
2 pieces
-mediational processes in SLT
-cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
Evaluate the implications of having a deterministic view of human behaviour
( 2 strengths and 1 weakness)
+ implications for psychology as a science
allows the causes of human behaviour to be identified meaning a deterministic view puts psychology on an equal footing with other sciences
+implications for research
research into therapies and treatments can be done if behaviour can be predicted/controlled , means taking this view can lead to improvements in patients lives
-implications for society
if a certain genetic makeup predisposes people to violent criminal behaviour its unclear whether they can be held responsible for their actions
Evaluate the implications of having a free will view of human behaviour
( 1 strength and 2 weaknesses)
+implications for treatment
suggests people have conscious control over how they think and behave which is especially important for treatment of mental health as it gives individuals control and responsibility over their recovery
-implications for psych as a science
if free will is accepted then it can be argued that we won’t be able to predict behaviour and find causes of it which limits psychology as a scientific discipline
-implications for treatment
research into therapies and treatments can’t be done if behaviour can’t be predicted/controlled , this may limit what psychologists can do to help people
