Free Will and Determinism

determinism

the claim that psychological traits and behaviour are caused by internal or external forces over which the individual does not have control

biological determinism

psychological traits and behaviour are caused by genes and brain function (e.g. brain structure, neurochemicals)

environmental determinism

psychological traits and behaviour are caused by experience and upbringing (e.g. behaviourism)

psychic determinism

psychological traits and behaviour are caused by unconscious motives, many of which stem from childhood experiences (e.g. Freud's theory of the psychodynamic mind)

hard determinism

claims that determinism is true, and as a result, all behaviours and traits are entirely out of an individual's control; we have no free will whatsoever

soft determinism / compatibilism 

psychological behaviours and traits are caused by internal and/or external forces, but we can still exercise some control (e.g. through thought processes and decision making); we have some free will

free will

the idea that we have conscious choices in how we act; we can do what we want to do

voluntarism

stronger definition of free will that claims free will is incompatible with determinism; free will means we are self-determining and our choices are free from all other causes

What is meant by the scientific emphasis on causal explanations?

refers to psychology’s aim to identify cause-and-effect relationships between variables to explain behaviour scientifically