A03

• strength- easing mind

  • Can help ease the mind of mentally ill patients, people with schizophrenia may feel they are just going insane, or it is their responsibility.
  • when being diagnosed with excess dopamine can stop self-blaming, easing their mind and consequently their symptoms as they know treatment is available to help the suffering
• strength- easing mind(continued)

  • Additionally, Determinism has also led to treatment methods for mental disorders, such as schizophrenia through the control of dopamine by antipsychotic medication- improve QOL
  • However, this biological deterministic approach does not allow the use of other treatments which are not based on biological mechanisms, such as CBT which has less side effects and doesn’t mask the cause- thus patients may not be getting most effective treatment for them
• limitation- not inline with judicial system

  • A determinist position may be used for people to try and justify behaviours if they have committed a crime. = This would be undesirable as it excuses their behaviour.
  • Therefore, a hard deterministic stance is not in line with the principles of the judicial system, which sees individuals as taking moral responsibility for their actions. 
• limitation- biological determinism

  • 100% genetic determinism is unlikely to be found for any behaviour. = Studies that compare monozygotic twins have found 80% similarity for intelligence and 40% for depression.
  • This suggests that genes do not entirely determine behaviour and supports an interactionist standpoint and the diathesis stress model.
  • However, the fact that concordance rates for MZ twins are often higher than for siblings highlights the existing genetic influence as MZ twins share 100% DNA. li