Free will & determinism

define free will

The notion that humans can make choices & their behaviour/thoughts are not determined by biological or external forces

define determinism

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

define soft determinism

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

define hard determinism

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

define biological determinism

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

define environmental determinism

The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (such as systems of reward & punishment) that we cannot control

define psychic determinism

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

Free will suggests that human beings are…

self-determining and are free to choose their thoughts and actions

A belief in free will does not deny that…

there may be biological & environmental forces that exert some influence on our behaviour

A belief in free will does not deny that there may be biological & environmental forces that exert some influence on our behaviour, but ultimately free will implies that…

we are able to reject these forces as the masters of our own destiny

free will is advocated by the…

humanistic approach

how is free will advocated by the humanistic approach?

Humanists do not believe in determinism, they believe in free will as humans are self-determining, active agents suggesting that humans choose what internal/external factors influence us.

Determinism proposes that…

free will has no place in explaining behaviour

what are the two types of determinism?

soft & hard determinism

Hard determinism is sometimes referred to as…

fatalism

Hard determinism suggests that…

all human behaviour has a cause such that it should be possible to identify & describe these causes

hard determinism assumes that…

everything that humans think & do are dictated by internal/external forces that cannot be controlled

A less extreme position is adopted by…

soft determinism

oft determinism acknowledges that…

all human action has a cause but that there is some room for manoeuvre - people have conscious mental control over how they behave

what approach displays soft determinism

the cognitive approach

how does the cognitive approach display soft determinism?

it recognises that our cognitive system is influenced by input from environmental stimuli but humans still free to think/process before responding to a stimulus

what are the 3 types of hard determinism?

biological, environmental, psychic

what approach displays biological determinism & how

the biological approach emphasises the role of biological determinism in behaviour such as the influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on the stress response or the influence of genes on mental health

what approach displays environmental determinism & how

Skinner described free will as an illusion & argued that behaviour is the result of conditioning. Although humans may feel as if they are acting independently, the experience of choice is merely the result of reinforcement contingencies that have acted upon humans throughout their lives

what approach displays psychic determinism & how

Freud believed free will to be an illusion & emphasised the influence of biological drives and instincts on human behaviour - he saw behaviour as determined by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood. According to Freud there is no such thing as an accident & something random, such as a slip of the tongue, can be explained by the influence of the unconscious

what is the causal explanation

is based on the scientific notion that behaviour is caused/determined by internal/external factors – there is a cause and effect relationship

why is a causal explanation important

 they allow scientists to predict & control events

explain the argument for determinism it is consistent with science

causal explanations forms the basis for scientific enquiry which has allowed psychology to be seen on equal footing with other more established sciences

explain how a deterministic approach has useful real-life applications

• due its causal explanations using scientific methodology it allows for prediction and control of human behaviour which has led to the development of treatments, therapies and behavioural interventions for serious mental disorders.

• understanding the chemical imbalance of mental disorders like depression, OCD and schizophrenia has allowed for the development of drug treatments.

• also the Behaviourist approach has been applied to real-world scenarios and plays a key role in shaping human behaviour through conditioning such as in token economy systems in prisons and systematic desensitisation in the treatment of phobias

explain why it is important to consider the impact a deterministic approach has on our legal system

• questions are raised about whether it is morally or ethically acceptable to punish individuals for their behaviour.

• The biological approach views all human behaviour as governed by internal, biological causes which we have no control over; biological research explains criminal behaviour in terms of abnormal brain functioning particularly in the frontal lobe involved in high order thinking and decision making.

• Such claims have implications for the legal system and wider society. One of the rules of law is that offenders are seen as legally and morally responsible for their actions.

• The discovery of a ‘criminal gene’ or abnormal neural functioning may complicate this principle. It will not only raise ethical concerns on whether it is right to punish someone for their offending if it was outside their control but may also open up the opportunity for offenders to claim crime runs in the family as a defence in court

explain the core argument supporting free will face validity

• Everyday experiences give individuals the impression that they are constantly exercising free will through their daily choices and the belief that we have free will also has benefits for individuals

• research found people who have an internal locus of control (thus believe they have a high degree of influence over events and their behaviour) tend to be more mentally healthy and  when individuals thought that their lives were controlled by external forces, they had a greater risk for depression.

• This clearly portrays the beneficial impact a free will approach can have on an individual’s life. 

explain the undeniable evidence against free will

• brain activity determines the outcome of simple choices and may actually influence our knowledge of having made a choice

• researchers produced results that 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 clearly supports a deterministic approach and that our actions were determined by our brain before we became aware of them

explain an interactionist approach

A soft determinism approach as seen in the social learning theory and cognitive approach to psychology can best explain the causes of human behaviour; for example, Bandura argued that although environmental factors in learning are key linking to environmental determinism, we are still free to choose who and what to attend to and when to perform certain behaviour highlighted in the mediational processes. This allows for a medium between a strictly determinism and strictly free will approach considering aspects from both.