free will and determinism

• soft determinism 


  our freedom is limited
• hard determinism

  we are completely predetermined to act in certain ways
• determinism

  belief that your life is already determined and you have no choice/control over your actions as they are controlled by an individuals genes
• free will

  belief that humans have the freedom to choose their behaviour and act at all times
• biological determinism

  the idea that behaviours are caused by internal biological factors e.g. genes, neurochemistry
• environmental determinism

  the idea that behaviours are caused by external forces e.g. experiences, upbringing
• psychic determinism

  the idea that behaviours are caused by internal forces e.g. unconscious instincts and drives
• examples of biological determinism

  Nestdat - review of OCD and the role of genetics

  concordance rate in monozygotic twins was higher than dizygotic twins
• example of environmental determinism

  explaining phobias - classical conditioning
• example of psychic determinism

  the psychosexual stages of development
• maslows hierarchy of needs

  • bottoms levels are deterministic e.g. basic needs
  • top levels are down to free will e.g. love needs
• rogers

  client centre therapy supports free will by leading the client to make their own decided through open ended questions
• determinism - strength

  fits with a scientific method as it focuses on causes of behaviour e.g. skinner
• determinism - limitation

  if we take a biological deterministic viewpoint people can argue they shouldn’t be held morally responsible for a crime they commit
• free will - strength

  important for our mental health (locus of control) to avoid a depressive state
• free will - limitation

  freud and skinner believe free will is an illusion as we are unaware of how our unconscious drives influence our behaviour