Free will and determinism

• What is the free will vs determinism debate?

  weather we are completely in charge of our own behaviour (free will) or do external influences determine our behaviour (determinism)
• Name the 5 types of determinism.

  hard, soft, biological, environmental, psychic.
• What is hard determinism, include an example.

  hard determinism e.g. skinners box in behaviourism, is based on the cause and effect relationship, assuming all behaviour can be explained using general laws.
• What is soft determinism, include an example.

  soft determinism e.g. schemas in cognitivism, is similar to hard determinism but alllows some free will as it believes mediational processes are an influencing factor.
• What is biological determinism, include an example.

  biological determinism e.g. localisation of function in the biological approach, assumes that biological processes like neurotransmitters and genes control behaviour.
• What is environmental determinism, include an example.

  environmental determinism e.g. token economies in behaviourism, is based on the concept of conditioning, behaviour is heavily influenced by external factors.
• What is psychic determinism, include an example.

  Psychic determinism e.g. freuds psychodynamic theory. Behaviour is determined by internal unconscious drives derived from repressed conflicts.
• What are the supporting arguments for determinism?

  The principles of determinism correspond with the features of science i.e. that behaviour has a cause and can be measured, giving the viewpoint a high degree of control and therefore internal validity and reliability. Furthermore the deterministic perspective has at least some credibility as some behaviours e.g. anxiety and social withdrawal can be directly linked to mental illness resulting from exposure to war, abuse, or neglect. This allows treatments to be provided to patients increasing general wellbeing. Additionally, there is research to suggest that behaviour is determined up to at least 10 seconds. Chun Soon et al (2008) found activity in the prefrontal cortex up to 10 seconds before a person was aware of their decision to act, showing that the motor activity preceding movement occurred before the conscious decision was made.
• What are the apposing arguments to determinism?

  Studies into twins have shown that specifically genetic determinism is unlikely to be the only cause of behaviour. Research into monozygotic twins have found 80% similarity for intelligence and 40% for depression, implying that genes do not entirely determine behaviours, supporting an interactionist standpoint. Additionally, determinism would mean that everyone born under the same circumstances ends up with the same experiences or outcomes which is clearly untrue e.g. people born into a criminal family who choose a different path in life. Furthermore, determinism simplifies behaviour in a way that is inappropriate to compare with humans, whose behaviour is influenced by many factors i.e. cognitive factors which can override biological impulses. For example, aggression cannot be simplified to the action of the endocrine system and adrenaline, as there are equally influential cognitive factors and accompanying emotions.
• What is free will?

  The concept that humans are self determining and able to exercise control over their behaviour.
• Give an example of free will in a psychological approach.

  The humanistic approach is the only approach that fully encompasses free will. It sees the individual holistically at the heart of their own destiny, actively shaping their life rather than allowing external forces influence it. This is shown through Maslows hierarchy of needs and rogers client centred therapy.
• What are the supporting arguments for free will?

  The idea of free will has good face validity because we appear to have exercise it in our day to day lives through decision making. Free will also has high internal validity shown through Robert et al. Who found that adolescents with an internal locus of control are less likely to develop depression and more likely to have better mental health, compared to those with an external locus of control. These differences in LOC and mental health states supports the idea that free will can be used to help us determine what controls our life events, and so we make better decisions.
• What are the opposing arguments for free will?

  The concept of free will remains a little vague and it has been theorised that it free will is merely an illusion. People may make decisions seeming out of free will yet their choices are determined by previous reinforcement contingencies, as shown through behaviourism.