Free Will and Determinism

• Free Will


  The notion humans can make choices and are not determined by biological or external forces
• Determinism


  The view that an individual's behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces rather than a person's will to do something
• Hard determinism


  Free will is not possible as behaviour is always caused by internal or external events beyond our control
• Soft determinism


  All events have causes but behaviour can be determined by our conscious choices outside of coercion
• Biological Determinism


  The belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences such as genetics that we cannot control
• Environmental Determinism


  The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment such as systems of reward and punishment that we cannot control
• Psychic Determinism


  The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control
• Free Will

  • Humanistic approach believes in free will
  • Belief in personal growth and that it is necessary to become fully functioning human beings
  • Client Centred Therapy emphasises the freedom of the client to deal with their own problems
• What are the 3 types of hard determinism?

  1. Biological
  2. Psychic
  3. Environmental
• SLT and Cognitive Approach Soft Determinism

  • SLT says to some extent the environment does cause our behaviour however we have mediational processes
  • Our conscious thoughts enable us to freely decide who we pay attention to
  • While internal mental processes in the cognitive approach guide behaviour people can make choices based on their cognitive processing
• Biological Determinism: Biological Approach

  • Emphasises the role of biological determinism
  • Behaviour is influenced by internal biological factors such as genes
  • The influence of the ANS on the stress response
• Environmental Determinism: Behaviourist Approach

  • Skinner claimed free will is an illusion and that behaviour is as a result of conditioning
  • We may think we are acting independently but it may be as a result of reinforcement
• Psychic Determinism: Psychodynamic Approach

  • Freud said free will is an illusion and emphasised the influence of biological drives and instincts
  • Human behaviour is determined by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood
• The scientific emphasis on causal explanations

  • In experimental methods something is manipulated (IV) and something is measure (DV)
  • Want to see the impact of the IV ( the cause) on the DV ( the effect)
  • Must establish control by doing a lab experiment so we can say we have full control and that the IV is causing the DV
• AO3 Determinism: Issues with the law

  • If someone adopted a biologically deterministic view then a criminal can say that a crime is not their fault
  • Hard determinism goes against the legal system
  • Offenders are held responsible for their actions
  • Determinism cannot work in the real world
• AO3 Free Will: Practical Value

  • We exercise free choice in our everyday lives
  • Thinking we have free will can improve mental health
  • Having an external locus of control lead to adolescents have a greater chance of developing depression
  • Thinking we have free will has positive impacts
• AO3 Determinism: Research Evidence

  • Brain scan evidence supports determinism
  • Research told PPs to flick their wrist while he measures brain activity
  • PPs had to say when they felt like they should move and unconscious brain activity came half a second before the PPs moved
  • Most of our experiences may already be decided by our brain even before we are aware
• AO3 Determinism: Oversimplified

  • Another issue is determinist explanations have a tendency to oversimplify human behaviour
  • Deterministic explanations may be appropriate for non humans but human behaviour may be less rigid or influenced by such innate drives
  • Cognitive factors such as thinking, values, beliefs systems may all play a role in overriding biological impulses