1b. Evaluation on freewill vs determinism

What is the first discussion point for the freewill vs determinism debate?

One discussion point is to consider is whether or not determinism has validity.

What is the P of the discussion point on whether or not determinism has validity?

P- Determinism is consistent with the nomothetic approach, which aims to identify general laws and principles that can explain behaviour.

What is the E of the discussion point on whether or not determinism has validity?

E- For example, both the biological and behaviourist approaches use scientific methods to identify general causes of behaviour by establishing hypotheses that state a cause and an effect relationship and systematically testing! Whether they use experiments or other scientific methods like brain scanning or gene comparisons, both attempt to identify causes of behaviour that can be objectively measured and tested using scientific methods them to establish a deterministic causal relationship. This gives determinist explanations scientific credibility, as researchers can conduct focused and controlled (internally valid) research to establish cause-and-effect relationships and findings can potentially be replicated, highlighting reliability.

What is the C of the discussion point on whether or not determinism has validity?

C- Therefore, the determinist approach can be considered externally valid because it allows psychologists to develop general explanations of behaviour based on empirical evidence.

What is the P of the limitation of the discussion point on whether determinism has validity?

P- However, a limitation of a determinist, nomothetic approach is that it may lack detail about the individual.

What is the E of the limitation of the discussion point on whether or not determinism has validity?

E- For example, depression is a complex disorder and people diagnosed with depression may have very different causes and experiences. A general biological or behaviourist explanation may therefore fail to capture the unique combination of factors that has contributed to a particular individual's depression.

What is the C of the limitation of the discussion point on whether or not determinism has validity?

C- This suggests that although the determinist approach has the strength of scientific credibility, its focus on direct causal relationships may fail to explain complex human behaviour and to provide a complete externally valid understanding of the individual.

What is the second discussion point for the determinism vs freewill debate?

Another discussion point is whether or not free will has validity.

What is the P for the discussion point on whether or not freewill has validity?

P- Free will is consistent with the idiographic approach, which aims to understand individuals as unique rather than attempting to establish general laws of behaviour. This can provide rich and detailed information about an individual's choices and feelings.

What is the E & C for the discussion point on whether or not freewill has validity?

E- For example, Freud's case study of Little Hans involved a detailed investigation of one child's fear of horses. Freud used information about Little Hans' experiences, thoughts and relationships to develop an individual explanation of his phobia, rather than attempting to establish a direct causal relationship that would apply to everyone. Similarly, the humanistic approach emphasises free will and focuses on an individual's capacity for self-determination, to make free choices and to achieve self-actualisation. Maslow believed that people could actively make choices to move towards self-actualisation when they had satisfied the layers of the hierarchy of needs.

C- Therefore, the free will approach can be considered externally valid because it provides a rich and detailed understanding of the individual that may be lost when behaviour is regarded as determined by general laws.

What is the P for the limitation of the discussion point on whether or not free will has validity?

P- However, a limitation of free will may be its lack of scientific rigour.

What is the E for the limitation of the discussion point on whether or not free will has validity?

E- Although Freud's study of Little Hans provided a detailed account of one individual's behaviour, it is difficult to determine whether Freud's interpretation was objectively correct. The case study relied heavily on subjective information and Freud's interpretation of Little Hans' experiences, making it difficult for other researchers to replicate the investigation or independently verify its conclusions. Furthermore, because Little Hans was only one individual, it would be difficult to generalise Freud's explanation of his phobia to the wider population.

What is the C for the limitation of the discussion point on whether or not free will has validity?

C- This demonstrates that, although the free will approach can provide a valuable understanding of individual behaviour, its lack of scientific rigour may reduce its external validity as a basis for psychological research.