free will & determinism

• what is the debate about?

  extent to which behaviour is the result of choice or forces beyond our control
• define free will

  humans have ability to choose thoughts and actions freely

  • implies we are self-determined and responsible for own behaviour
• example of free will

  humanistic psychology
• define determinism

  behaviour is caused by internal or external forces

  • predictable and inevitable
• outline hard determinism

  human behaviour has causes and no free will

  • determined by biology, environment or unconscious mind
• example of hard determinism

  milgram - situational factors
• example of soft determinism

  cognitive psychology - mental processes
• outline soft determinism

  behaviour has causes but people have capacity for conscious choice
• 3 types of determinism

  1. biological
  2. environmental
  3. psychic
• define biological determinism

  behaviour is determined by genetic, neurochemical and hormonal processes
• examples of biological determinism

  • explanations of OCD
  • sleep/wake cycle
  • biological approach
• examples of environmental determinism

  • acquiring phobias
  • bowlby's learning theory
  • behaviourist approach
• examples of psychic determinism

  • maternal deprivation
  • family dysfunction of schizophrenia
  • freud's psychodynamic theory
• define environmental determinism

  determined by external forces

  • e.g. environment, reinforcement and conditioning
• define psychic determinism

  controlled by unconscious conflicts from childhood
• scientific emphasis of psychology

  • establish cause and effect relationships
  • use lab experiments to isolate variables
  • determinism underpins science to predict and control behaviour
• strength of free will - face validity

  consistent with our everyday experiences

  • legal system operates on assumption that individuals are responsible for behaviour
  • supports moral and legal responsibility
  • strong practical appeal which is important socially and ethically
• weakness of free will - neurological research

  free will is an illusion

  • libet - readiness potential
  • soon et al - brain activity can predict a choice 10 seconds before conscious awareness
  • decisions are made unconsciously
  • challenges validity
• strength of free will - humanistic approach

  central to humanistic perspective

  • rogers & maslow - self-actualisation requires personal autonomy and freedom of choice
  • free will is essential for personal growth
  • positive real-world applications
• strength of determinism - scientific approach

  psychology can be studied scientifically and objectively

  • identify causal relationships using lab experiments
  • development of effective treatments and interventions
  • high credibility and practical value
• weakness of determinism - moral responsibility

  challenges idea of free will

  • individuals may not be seen as responsible for their actions
  • incompatible with justice system
  • ethically problematic
• weakness of determinism - reductionist

  oversimplifies human behaviour

  • biological determinism ignores free will, personal values or situational context
  • behaviour is unpredictable
  • lacks validity as doesn't reflect flexibility of real-life behaviour