3) Free will vs determinism

Define free will?

The belief that humans are essentially self-determining.

Humans play an active role and are free to act in whichever way they choose.

• There are other forces that may influence us, but we can choose to reject them.

• Therefore, we are unpredictable.

Humanistic Approach

Define determinism?

The theory that all behaviour is caused by internal or external forces and is therefore predictable.

Name the two types of determinism?

• Hard determinism

• Soft determinism

Describe hard determinism?

Also known as fatalism.

Hard determinism suggests that all human behaviour has a cause, and in principle, it should be possible to identify and describe these causes.

• Free will is an illusion.

Describe soft determinism?

All human behaviour has a cause. However there is some room for flexibility.

• People have a certain degree of control over the way they behave, but only within the realms of what they know.

Name three sub-types of hard determinism?

• Biological determinism

• Environmental determinism

• Psychic determinism

Describe biological determinism?

All human behaviour is innate and determined by our genes/hormones/brain chemistry.

NESTADT ET AL:
Found that 68% of identical twins shared OCD as opposed to only 31% of non-identical twins.

• This suggests that people’s genetic make up can make them vulnerable to OCD.

Describe environmental determinism?

Behaviour is caused by forces outside the individual (conditioning).

• E.G: Behaviourist approach to phobias suggests that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.

This suggests that (at least to some extent) our behaviour is determined by our environment.

Describe psychic determinism?

All human behaviour is the result of childhood experiences, and unconscious innate drives (ID, EGO AND SUPEREGO).

• E.G: The psychodynamic explanation of gender identity suggests it is acquired during the phallic stage of development.

The successful solution of the oedipus/electra complex is based on the successful identification with the same-sex parent, meaning behaviour is determined on successful or unsuccessful identification with parents.

Describe causal explanations?

Deterministic approaches are considered more scientific because scientific research is based on the belief that all events have a cause.

• Deterministic approaches allow us to infer cause and effect, which is in line with science.

Evaluate the free will?

(flip these points for the opposite for determinism!! (determinism has bad face validity))

STRENGTH: FREE WILL HAS GOOD FACE VALIDITY

Everyday experience ‘gives the impression’ that we constantly exercise free will with the choices we make daily.

ROBERTS (2000):

Furthermore, people with an internal locus of control believing they have a high degree of control over their own behaviour tend to be more mentally healthy.

• He found that adolescents with a strong belief in determinism were at a significantly greater risk of developing depression.

Shows that even if we don’t have free will the fact we think we do, seems to have a positive impact on mind and behaviour.

LIMITATION: EVIDENCE TO COUNTER FREE WILL

Neurological studies of decisions making have revealed evidence against free will.

LIBET AND SOON:

Demonstrated that brain activity determined the outcome of simple choice, predating our knowledge of having that made that choice.

• 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 the participant reported being aware of a decision.

Suggests that even our most basic experiences of free will are decided and determined before we are aware of them.

Evaluate determinism?

STRENGTH: A SCIENTIFIC CASE FOR DETERMINISM

Determinism is consistent with the aims of science.

• The idea that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws paces psychology on equal footing with other natural sciences.

Additionally, the value of psychological research is that the prediction and control of human behaviour has led to the development of treatments, therapies and behavioural interventions that have benefitted many.

• E.G: psychotherapeutic drug treatments for mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.

The mere existence of conditions such as schizophrenia where patients experience a loss of control over thoughts and behaviours casts doubt on the idea of free will.

LIMITATION: DETERMINISM PROVIDES AN EXCUSE

Many psychologists and legal experts do not favour a deterministic approach because if behaviour is determined by outside forces, this provides a potential excuse for criminal acts.

• E.G: In 1981, Stephen Mobley argued that he was ‘born to kill’ after killing a pizza shop manager.

  • He argued that his family had a disposition towards violence and aggressive behaviour, although his argument was rejected in court.

Therefore, a hard determinist position may be undesirable as removing free will provides an ‘excuse’ allowing people to mitigate their own liability.

This could lead to problematic legal issues regarding the nature of responsibility and intent.

SOFT DETERMINISM- A COMPROMISE?

An interactionist position could provide a good compromise between the two positions.

Approaches in psychology that have a good cognitive element tend to adopt a soft determinism approach.

• E.G: Social learning theory- Bandura’s reciprocal determinism

According to reciprocal determinism, you are influenced by your environment. You also influence the environment around you, each impacts the other through the behaviours we choose to perform.

• This is an example of soft determinism because this element of choice suggests that there is some free will in the way we behave.

Bandura agreed that although environmental factors in learning are key, we are free to choose who or what to attend to and when to perform certain behaviours.