Free will vs Determinism

• Define Debate


  the extent to which our behaviour is the result of forces over which we have no control or whether people are able to decide for themselves whether to act or behave in a certain way.
• Define Free Will


  the idea that humans play an active role and can make choice in how we behave.

  the assumption is that individuals are free to choose their behaviour and aren't determined by bioloigcal or external factors.
• Define 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.

  an example of an external force - influence of parents when rewarding certain behaviours.

  an example of an internal force would be hormones influencing the way in which someone behaves.
• Define Hard Determinism


  Implies that free will isn't possible as our behaviour is always caused by internal/external events beyond our control.

  hard determinism is seen as incompatible with free will - fatalism.
• Define Soft Determinism


  the view that behaviour is constrained by the environment or biological make up, but only to a certain event and that there's an element of free will in all behaviour.
• Define Biological Determinism


  the belief that behaviour is caused by biological (genetic, hormonal, evolutionary) influences that we can't control.

  e.g. high levels of testosterone will cause aggressive behaviour.
• Define Environmental Determinism


  the belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (such as systems of reward and punishment) that we can't control.
• Define Psychic Determinism


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

  e.g. we could develop OCD because of a fixation during the psychosexual stages of development.
• Which approach takes a free will stance in Psychology?

  Humanistic Approach

  - suggests that we are ultimately responsible for our own behaviour (active agents), regardless of external events in the past or present.

  - Rogers and Maslow claim that humans have self-determination and free will and that behaviour isn't the result of any single cause.
• Scientific Emphasis on Causal Explanations

  - based on the belief that all events have a cause.

  - IV is manipulated to have an effect on the DV.

  - through repeated research under controlled conditions and performing stats tests, a 'cause and effect' relationship can be established between 2 variables.

  -e.g. Harlow - involved an IV (wire mother) and a DV (attachment formed). result demonstrated that contact comfort determined the formation of an attachment
• AO3 Evaluation - Free Will has Internal Validity

  - Robert et al found that adolescents with an internal LOC are less likely to develop depression and are more likely to have better mental health, to those with an external LOC.

  - strength as these differences in LOC and mental health supports the idea that free will can be used to help us determine what control out life events, and so we make such conscious decisions.
• AO3 Evaluation - Free Will doesn't support neurological studies of decision making

  - Libet et al found that the motor regions of the brain become active before a person registers conscious awareness of a decision i.e. the decision to move the finger was actually a pre-determined action of the brain.

  - strongly suggest that many responses are biologically determined and that we may believe that we have free will.

  - weakness as it shows that even out most basic experiences of free will are determined by our brain we become aware of them. it's clear that psychologists don't favour either a hard determinist or an entirely free will PoV, therefore a soft determinist perspective is more appropriate.
• AO3 Evaluation - Determinism is consistent with the aims of science

  - idea that human behaviour obeys laws places Psychology on equal footing with other more established sciences, increasing its credibility.

  - the value of such research is that the prediction and control of human behaviour has led to the development of treatments and therapies e.g. psychotherapeutic drug treatment in controlling and managing schizophrenia.

  - strength as the experience of schizophrenia casts doubt on the concept of free will. suggests that at least in terms of mental illness, behaviour would appear to be determined.
• AO3 Evaluation - Hard Determinism isn't consistent with out legal system

  - a determinist position may be used for people to try and justify behaviour if they have committed a crime. this would be undesirable as it excuses their behaviour.

  - a hard determinist stance isn't in line with the principles of the judicial system, which uses individuals as taking more responsibility for their actions.

  - Stephen Mobley argued that he was 'born to kill' after killing a manager because his family had a disposition towards violence and aggressive behaviour. this argument was rejected by an American court.

  - weakness as this suggests that a truly determinist position may be undesirable as it proves an 'excuse' allowing people to mitigate their own liability and could lead to distressing legal issues regarding the nature of responsibility and intent.