Free will & determinism

What is free will

Suggests human beings are self-determining and in control of their own thoughts and behaviour. It is a view that is advocated by the humanistic approach

What is determinism

The view that an individual’s behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces rather than an individual’s will to do something

What is hard determinism

The view that all behaviour is caused by something (internal or external factors) so free will is an illusion

What is soft determinism

The view that behaviour may be predictable (caused by internal of external factors) but there is also room for personal choice from a limited range of possibilities (restricted free will)

What is biological determinism & example

The belief that behaviour is caused by biological (genetic, hormonal, evolutionary) influences that we cannot control. Like the influence of the autonomic nervous system on the stress response

What is environmental determinism & example

The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (such as systems of reward and punishment) that we cannot control. For example Skinner described free will as an illusion, arguing that all behaviour is the result of conditioning

What is psychic determinism & example

The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious psychodynamic conflicts that we cannot control. For example Freud also believed that free will is an illusion but emphasised the influence of biological drives and instincts. He saw human behaviour as determined by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood. According to Freud there is no such thing as an accident, it can all be explained by the influence of the unconscious

What is the scientific emphasis on causal explanations

One of the basic principles of science is that every event in the universe has a cause and that cause can be explained using general laws (hard determinism). In psych, the lab experiment is the ideal of science as it enables researchers to demonstrate causal relationships

What is a strength of free will

Its practical value. The common-sense belief is that we make free choices in our daily lives. Even if this isn't true, thinking that we do can improve our mental health. A study by Rebecca Roberts et al. (2000) found that adolescents who believed their lives were controlled by external events (fatalism) were more likely to develop depression. It appears that people with an external locus of control, who think outside factors determine their fate, are less optimistic. This suggests that believing in free will, even if it doesn't exist, may positively impact mental health and behaviour

What is a limitation of free will

Benjamin Libet et al. (1983) studied brain activity and free will by asking participants to randomly flick their wrists while measuring brain activity. Participants had to say when they felt the conscious will to move. He found that unconscious brain activity (readiness potential) occurred about half a second before participants felt they had consciously decided to move. This suggests that even basic experiences of free will might actually be determined by the brain before we become aware of them

What is a counterpoint to the previous evaluation point

Libet's findings that the brain is involved in decision-making are not surprising and align with expectations. The fact that brain activity occurs before conscious awareness doesn’t mean no decision was made—it just means the decision takes time to reach consciousness. Our awareness is simply a "read-out" of unconscious decision-making. This suggests Libet's study does not effectively challenge the concept of free will

What is a limitation of determinism

The position of the legal system on responsibility. The hard determinist stance is that individual choice is not the cause of behaviour. This is not consistent with the way in which our legal system operates. In a court of law, offenders are held responsible for their actions. The main principle of our legal system is that a defendant exercised their free will in committing the crime. This suggests that, in the real world, determinist arguments do not work