Free Will and Determinism

• What is free will?

  The view that we have full control over our behaviour.
• Which approach assumes we have complete free will?

  Humanistic approach.
• What is determinism?


  The view that we don't have control over our behaviour.
• What are the 3 types of determinism and their related approaches?

  1. Psychodynamic approach assumes psychic determinism whereby behaviour is caused by the unconscious mind.
  2. Behaviourist approach assumes environmental determinism whereby all behaviour is caused by our environment.
  3. Biological approach assumes biological determinism whereby all behaviour is caused by internal biological factors.
• What are the 2 varying degrees of determinism?

  1. Hard determinism - we never have control over our behaviour.
  2. Soft determinism - our choices are constrained by our biology and environment, but we have free will to choose within those options.
• Which approaches align with hard determinism?

  Behavioural and biological approaches.
• Which approaches align with soft determinism?

  SLT and cognitive approach
• A03: How well does each side of the free will/determinism debate adhere to scientific principles in psychology?


  • Psychologists study cause & effect relationships and make reliable predictions about behaviour in line with the scientific approach = supports determinism.
  • However, a limitation of determinism is that we can't falsify the general idea that behaviour has a cause.
  • Free will is also unfalsifiable because it doesn't allow us to make predictions about behaviour so we cannot test it either.
• A03: Evaluate the free will/determinism debate in terms of our subjective experiences.


  • Determinists argue free will is an illusion because whenever it feels like we are making a free choice, that choice is always determined by biological or environmental factors.
  • However, the humanistic approach argues that free will matches our subjective experience of life, supporting the assumption that we do have free will.
  • Although, psychologists argue we should base our theories on objective criteria (not subjective).
• A03: Evaluate the free will/determinism debate in terms of the societal implications of assuming one or the other. FREE WILL STRENGTH


  • Free will strength: If we treat people as if they have free will, they will likely believe they have free will and develop an internal locus of control.
  • Benassi et al. showed that people with an internal locus of control were less likely to develop symptoms of depression.
  • TST treating people as if they have free will can lead to better mental health.
• A03: Evaluate the free will/determinism debate in terms of the societal implications of assuming one or the other. FREE WILL LIMITATION- RESPONSIBILITY

  • Assuming free will could lead to people being unfairly blamed for behaviour that wasn't their fault.
  • Their behaviour may have been caused by biological or environmental factors.
• A03: Evaluate the free will/determinism debate in terms of the legal implications of assuming one or the other. DETERMINISM AND RESPONSIBILITY


  • Determinism argues that no one is ever responsible for their actions.
  • This contradicts the legal system which is based on the idea that people ARE responsible for their actions, and that they deserve punishment if they break the law.
  • TST, since our legal system relies on the assumption of free will, determinism is flawed.
  • However, if our legal system is based on providing a deterrent, we can assume determinism and still have a legal system.