Freewill And Determinsm

• –Hard determinism = implies that free will is not possible as our behaviour is always caused by internal or external factors beyond our control. Otherwise known as fatalism. It is compatible with the scientific approach.
• –Soft determinism = all human behaviour has causes, but behaviour can also be determined by our conscious choices in the absence of coercion i.e. we also have conscious mental control.
• Behaviour is shaped and controlled by internal and/or external forces rather than the individual’s will to do something.
• •Biological determinism = the belief that behaviour is caused by biological influences (i.e. physical) that we cannot control e.g. genes, hormones, neuroanatomy, nervous system, evolutionary factors.
• •Environmental determinism = the belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment and other agents of socialisation (external factors) that are beyond our control e.g. rewards, punishments, associations.•
• •Psychic determinism = the belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts (repressed in childhood) that we cannot control.
• •Free will is the idea that humans can make choices (e.g. our thoughts, actions) and are not determined by biological or external forces. Therefore, we are self-determining.•This view does not deny that other forces influence our behaviour, but implies that we can reject these forces.
• •The humanistic approach is one of the few to adopt a free will perspective on behaviour.•The concept was central to Roger’s client centred therapy in that people are seen as being free to effect change in their lives by choosing to see their situation differently. Having removed the psychological barriers that may be preventing personal growth, people are free to work towards their potential (self actualisation).
• The Scientific Emphasis On Casual Explanations


  •One of the basic principles of science is that every event in the universe has a cause and that causes can be explained using general laws.•Causal explanations = when all variables are controlled (to remove extraneous variables) except for the IV. Therefore any changes in the dependent variable must be due to the manipulation of the IV. The use of control enables the researchers to infer causality (cause and effect) which allows psychologists to form laws to predict and control events in the future.