Free will and determinism

• Free will is the idea that humans are self-determining and can make choices independent of internal or external influences.

  • This perspective is central to the humanistic approach, which argues that people have personal agency and control over their actions.
• Free will suggests that behaviour is not governed by biological or environmental forces, allowing for personal responsibility and self-improvement.
• Determinism suggests that human behaviour is shaped by internal or external forces rather than an individual's will to do something. It exists in several forms: hard determinism and soft determinism.
• Hard determinism states that all behaviour is dictated by internal or external forces that are beyond free choice, so free will is not possible.
• Soft determinism, supported by the cognitive approach, allows for some degree of free will. It argues that individuals have a conscious mental control over their behaviour, within a deterministic framework.
• The types of determinism are:

  • Biological determinism
  • Environmental determinism
  • Psychic determinism
• Biological determinism is the belief that all behaviour is controlled by genetics, brain structure, and neurochemistry that we cannot control. For example, the influence of dopamine levels in schizophrenia.
• Environmental determinism is the belief that behaviour is shaped by external forces, such as upbringing and conditioning, as seen in behaviourist theories like classical and operant conditioning.
• Psychic determinism is the belief that behaviour is driven by unconscious conflicts and instincts repressed in childhood, as proposed by Freud’s psychodynamic approach.
• Freud believes that free will is an illusion.

  • He believed there is no such thing as an accident and that we can't control our unconscious conflicts.
• Scientific emphasis on causal explanations

  • General principle of science is that every event in the universe has a cause and that causes can be explained using general laws
  • This allows scientists to predict and control events in the future
• In psychology, lab experiments enables researchers to control conditions.

  • They are able to remove all extraneous variables to precisely predict and control human behaviour
  • Therefore, the more deterministic an approach is, the more scientific it is.
• Some psychologists argue that free will is an illusion. Libet et al. (1983) found that brain activity linked to movement occurs about 0.5 seconds before a person reports being consciously aware of deciding to move. Soon et al. (2008) extended this research, showing that activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex can predict whether a participant will press a button with their left or right hand up to 10 seconds before they are aware of making a decision. This suggests that our decisions may be determined by unconscious processes, challenging the idea that we make choices freely.
• A major issue with determinism is its impact on the legal system. If behaviour is entirely determined by biological or environmental factors, it raises questions about moral responsibility. Courts typically hold people accountable for their actions, but if determinism is true, it suggests that individuals have no real control over their behaviour. For example, some lawyers have argued that offenders with genetic predispositions to aggression should receive reduced sentences. This creates ethical dilemmas about punishment and responsibility.
• Belief in free will has been linked to positive psychological outcomes. Research by Roberts et al. (2000) suggests that people who believe they have control over their actions are less likely to suffer from depression. This supports the humanistic approach, which emphasizes personal agency and self-improvement. Even if free will is not entirely real, believing in it may have psychological benefits, promoting motivation and mental well-being.
• Determinism has practical value in psychology. The prediction and control of human behaviour has led to the development of treatments, therapies and behavioural interventions. For example, biological determinism has led to drug therapies for mental disorders, such as antipsychotics for schizophrenia, which assumes that imbalances of neurotransmitters (dopamine) leads to symptoms. This demonstrates the usefulness of determinism in improving lives.