Free Will & Determinism

what is free will?

humans can make choices and are not determined by biological or external forces

what is determinism?

The view that an indv's behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces RATHER THAN an indivs will to do something

What is Hard determinism?

the belief that Free will is NOT possible as our behaviour is ALWAYS caused by internal and external events BEYOND our control

NO FREE WILL AT ALL

what is Soft determinism?

ALL events, including human behaviour, have CAUSES - BUT behaviour can also be determined by our conscience choices in absence of coercion

What is biological determinism?

The belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences (genetic, hormonal, evolutionary) that we cannot control.

what is reciprocal determinism?

A person's behaviour both influences & influenced by personal factors & social environment

What is environmental determinism?

The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment that we cannot control

eg systems of reward & punishment

What is psychic determinism?

The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control.

DETERMINISM OR FREE WILL - Biological approach

Hard determinism

● Biological approach is highly deterministic

● physiological & neurological processes arent under our conscious control - like autonomic nervous system during stress

● mental disorders thought to have a genetic basis & research demo effects of hormones eg. testosterone in aggressive behaviour

DETERMINISM OR FREE WILL - Learning approach

Behavioural - Environmental determinism

▸ highly deterministic

▸ skinner described free will as an "illusion" & behaviour is a result of conditioning w/o conscious decision being made - behaviour shaped by env events

▸ SLT - Reciprocal determinism

▸ SLT less deterministic & reductionist than other approaches - considers variety of approaches that influence behaviour & not reduced to single factor

▸ cos mediational process considers cognitive thought process as some1 needs to be 'motivated enough' to do the behaviour

▸ approach can be considered more realistic approach than others - Bandura argues that env factors are key BUT we are free to when to perform certain behaviours

DETERMINISM OR FREE WILL - cognitive approach

▪ Softer determinism - can change thoughts but still constrained within limits.

▪ argued as being less deterministic than others.

▪ assumes we are guided by our internal thought processes, although these do limit us to an extent, we still have control over our decisions and these can be changed with therapies.

Determinism or free will in Psychodynamic approach

🟃 highly deterministic/ psychic determinism

🟃 Freud agreed that free will is 'an illusion' but placed more emphasis on drives and instincts.

🟃 argued that behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts, repressed in childhood.

🟃 no such thing as an accident, according to Freud and even Freudian slips can be explained by the underlying authority of the unconscious.

Determinism or free will in Humanistic approach

❀ EMPHASISES our free will and choice NOT DETERMINISTIC AT ALL

❀ This approach is one of the few which adopts a free-will perspective on behaviour

❀ This is because the approach emphasis our own personal motivations and desires to achieve our goals

❀ unlike other approaches, assumes we can reach these through our own choices.

❀ Again, this is considered a more realistic explanation of behaviour.

EVALUATE - POINTS

🟍 Deterministic approach is consistent w the aims of science

🟍 Schizophrenia doubts the concept of free will

🟍 Determinism is unfalsifiable

🟍 Free will has validity

🟍 Moral ethics in soc support free will

🟍 Robert et al

How is the deterministic approach consistent with the aims of science?

▹ The notion that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws places psychology on equal footing

▹led to development of treatments, therapies and behavioural interventions that have benefited many

▹ e.g. psychotherapeutic drug treatments for controlling and managing Schizophrenia

How can the mental disorder Schizophrenia cast doubt on the concept of free will?

▸ Schizophrenia - where sufferers exp a total loss of control over their thoughts & behaviour casts doubt on concept of free will as NO ONE would choose to have schizophrenia

▸mental illness wld appear to be determined

How falsifiable is the concept of determinism? Causes of behaviour are seen to always have a cause- can we prove this to be wrong?

➼ Unfalsifiable - based on idea that causes of behaviour will always exist, EVEN THO they may not have been found

➼ impossible to prove wrong

➼suggests determinist approach to human behaviour may not be as scientific as it appears

How does the concept of free will show face validity?

🟀 everyday exp 'give the impression' that we're constantly exercising free will thro the choices we make any day

🟀 gives validity as this make common sense

How do our moral ethics in society (personal responsibility) support free will?

🟆 ethical argument supports free will

🟆 to expect moral responsibility one must accept the concept of free will

🟆 if an indivs behaviour is is determined by forced beyond their own control then they cannot be held responsible for their own actions

🟆 The law insists adults do have indiv responsibility for their actions & so implicitly soc supports freewill

Robert et al

that belief in free will can cause us to be more mentally healthy whereas those believing in fatalism- that lived were 'decided' by events outside of their control were significantly more

at risk of developing depression- What does this suggest?

🟉 Internal locus of control-good mental health. External locus of control- depression

🟉 Even if we do not have fee will, the fact that we think we do may have a positive impact on mind

and behaviour

study that supports determinism

Researchers found that the activity related to whether to press a button with the left or right hand occurs

in the brain up to 10 seconds before participants report being consciously aware of making such a decision! This shows that even are most basic experiences of free will are actually determined by our

brain before we become aware of them.