Free will and determinism

• Free will:

  • The idea that as human beings we are free to choose our thoughts and actions
  • This does not deny the idea that there may be biological and environmental factors but says that we are able to reject these forces
  • E.g. The humanistic approach promotes free will 
• Hard determinism:

  • This suggests that all human behaviour has a cause and we should be able to identify these causes
  • This is in line with the aims of science:
  • To find causal laws that govern thought and action
  • To assume that everything we think and do is dictated by internal/external forces that we cannot control
• Soft determinism:

  • Soft determinists also acknowledge that all human action has a cause
  • However, they also suggest that there is some flexibility – i.e. People have conscious mental control over the way they behave
  • So there are scientific causes that determine our behaviour but we also have freedom to make rational conscious choices in everyday situations
• Biological determinism:

  • The biological approach emphasises the role of biological determinism in behaviour
  • E.g.:
  • Influence of ANS during stress (fight or flight)
  • Mental disorders have genetic basis (e.g. SERT/COMT gene mutations & OCD)
  • Role of hormones (e.g. high testosterone and aggression)
  • Role of neurotransmitters (e.g. low serotonin and depression)
  • Role of brain structures (e.g. Amygdala’s role in reactive aggression)
• Environmental determinism:

  • Skinner famously describe free will as ‘an illusion’ and argued that all behaviour is the result of conditioning
  • Environmental determinism argues that although we might think we are acting independently, our behaviour has been shaped by environmental events
  • It also suggests our behaviour is shaped by the people around us influencing us, e.g. Parents, teachers, etc.
• Psychic determinism:

  • Psychic determinism sees human behaviour as determined and directed by unconscious conflicts, repressed in childhood
  • Freud also claimed that free will is ‘an illusion’ but placed an emphasis on the influence of biological drives and instincts
• The scientific emphasis on casual explanations:

  • A causal explanation is based on the scientific notion that behaviour is caused/determined by internal/external factors − there is a cause and effect relationship.
  • These causes can be explained using general laws.
  • In psychology, lab experiments are the best type of experiment for determining cause and effect. The only thing that is changed in a lab study is the IV and all other variables (e.g. extraneous variables) are controlled, meaning cause and effect can be established. In other words, we can be sure that it is the IV that is causing a change in the DV, and not anything else.
• AO3:

  • strength of determinism is that it can explain complex mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
  • For example, schizophrenia sufferers experience a total loss of control over their thoughts and behaviour.
  • This casts doubt on the concept of free will as no-one would choose to have schizophrenia
  • This therefore suggests that, at least for mental illnesses, behaviour is determined and not due to free will
• AO3:

  • A limitation of determinism is that it is not consistent with the way our legal system operates
  • For example, in a court of law, offenders are held personally and morally accountable for their actions
  • This contradicts the idea of determinism as it suggests that if an individual commits a crime they have made a moral choice to do so
  • Therefore, the idea of determinism has implications for the future of our legal system
• AO3:

  • strength of free will is that believing we have control over our behaviour is healthy
  • For example, research suggests that people who believe they have a high degree of influence over events and their own behaviour are more mentally healthy
  • On the other hand, Roberts et al. found that adolescents who believed their life was decided by events out of their control were more likely to develop depression
  • This suggests that simply believing that we have free will may have a positive impact on mind and behaviour
• AO3:

  • limitation of the free will explanation is that neurological research contradicts the idea of free will
  • For example, researchers have found that the activity related to whether to press a button with the left or right hand occurs in the brain up to ten seconds before participants report being consciously aware of making such a decision
  • This shows that even our most basic experiences of free will are decided and determined by our brain before we come are of them