Free will and determinism

what is free will?

all behaviour is self determined - individuals control their own behaviour irrespective of other pressures

what’s determinism?

all behaviour is pre determined by other pressures (internal or external to individual)

whats hard determinism?

the view that all behaviour can be predicted and there is no free will

what’s soft determinism?

a version of determinism that allows for some element of free will

what’s fatalism?

behaviour is caused by factors outside of out control

what are the 4 types of determinism?

1. biological

2. environmental

3. scientific

4. psychic

what is biological determinism?

behaviour is driven by our genes and our neuroanatomy/chemistry

what do genes do according to biological determinism?

influence brain structure and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine that are often implicated in behaviour (dopamine hypothesis)

what is environmental determinism?

behaviour is driven by our environment

what do behaviourists believe?

that all behaviour is caused by previous experience, through the process of classical conditioning and operant conditioning

what is psychic determinism?

behaviour is driven by our psyche

what is psyche?

our innate drives and experience

what does Freud’s psychodynamic approach suggest?

• adult behaviour is determined by a mic of innate drives and early experiences, both internal and external forces

• behaviour is driven by the libido which focuses on erogenous zones

what are erogenous zones?

the mouth or anus

what does the psychodynamic approach say about children being frustrated?

the libido remains tied to the relevant erogenous zones and the individual is thus fixated on that zone

what is scientific determinism?

behaviour is driven by cause/effect relationships

whats an example of scientific determinism in an experiment

Zimbardo SPE

how was the SPE scientific?

• IV social role (guard/prisoner)

• DV conformity to role (tyranny/submission)

what do Maslow and Roger’s argue?

the self-determination was a necessary part of human behaviour. Without it, healthy self-development and self actualisation aren’t possible

what’s did rogers claim?

• as long an an individual remains controlled by other people or other things they can’t take responsibility for their behaviour and therefore can’t begin to change it

• things which are outside a persons sense of self remain beyond personal control

what’s moral responsibility?

humans are accountable for their own actions, regardless of innate factors or the influence of early experience

what has scientific research helped with?

scientific study of cause and effect has allowed treatments and interventions to be used to improve human well-being

what is the butterfly effect?

very small changes in initial conditions can subsequently result in major changes

what is the conclusion of casual relationships?

they are probabilistic rather than determinism

whats the problem with genetic and environmental determinism?

neither can be the sole determining factor in behaviour

what do IQ studies find in Mz twins?

if one twin has a high IQ, there is a 80% chance that the other twin will be the same

what do twin studies on IQ suggest?

genes don’t entirely determine behaviour and an interactionist approach rather than a determinist approach better represents reality

what have murderers claimed in criminal cases?

their behaviour was determined by inherited aggressive tendencies and therefore they should not be punished with the death penalty

what did Stephen Mobley do?

killed a pizza shop manager in 1981

what did Mobley claim?

he claimed the murder happened because he was ‘born to kill’ as evidence by a family history of violence

what’s the issue in the treatment of mental disorders with the deterministic approach?

if we take the view that disorders such as sz and depression are determined by an individuals biology, then a treatment should target their genes or neurotransmitters. However this may then block the consideration of other treatments that might be beneficial, such as CBT.

what does neuroscience suggest about free will?

decisions are made in the brain before we are aware of them

what did neuroscience show?

they recorded activity in motor areas of the brain before the person has an conscious awareness of the decision and the decision to move the finger was simply a read out of predetermined factors