Humans can make their own choices and their behaviour is not determined by external or biological forces
Determinism
An individual's behaviour is controlled by internal or external forces as opposed to free will.
Hard Determinism
All behaviour is controlled by something other than free will, every event has a cause
Soft Determinism
Behaviour may be predictable but there is also room for personal choice from a limited range (restricted free will)
Biological Determinism
Behaviour caused by genetic, hormonal, evolutionary influences that we cannot control
Environmental Determinism
Behaviour is caused by features of environment that we cannot control (rewards + punishments)
Psychic Determinism
Behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood that we cannot control
Eval : Strength
Determinism is consistent with the aims of science as it is orderly and obeys laws to put psychology as equal with other natural sciences. Also being able to predict and control behaviour has led to developments of treatments that help people with mental illnesses.
Eval : Weakness
An interactionist approach would say that approaches with a cognitive element tend to have soft determinism, like Bandura in SLT arguing that environmental factors are key, but we are free to choose certian behaviours.
Eval : Weakness
Soon et al said that brain activity that determines the outcome of a decision predates our knowledge of having made that choice, suggesting free will is already determined before we are aware of it.
