free will

• Free-will

  The ability to control our own thoughts and actions
• Humanistic approach

  • Humanistic psychologists such as Maslow argued that free-will was a necessary part of human behaviour
  • Without free-will, healthy development and self-actualisation will not occur
• Rogers' belief


  • As long as an individual remains in the control of other people or things, they cannot take responsibility for their actions and therefore cannot begin to change
  • Once an individual takes responsibility, personal growth is possible, resulting in psychological health
• Everyday subjective experience gives the impression that we do have free will
• Subjective experience


  • Gives the free will argument face validity
• Being able to decide between different courses of action is not evidence for free-will
• Behaviourist view (BF Skinner)

  A person may "choose" to pursue a particular career, but in fact these choices are determined by previous reinforcement experiences
• This gives us the illusion we have free will
• Roberts et al (2000)


  • Adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism (events are outside our control) were significantly more at risk of depression than adolescents with less belief in fatalism
• Belief in free will

  • It impacts behaviour
  • It reduces risks to mental health
• Choices are made in the brain


  Several seconds before we actually have a conscious awareness of making a decision
• Soon et al


  • Brain activity monitored by fMRI scans enabled technicians to state accurately which hand the Ps would use up to 200 milliseconds before the Ps stated their choice
• This implies that decisions based on 'free will' are in fact pre-determined by the brain before we become consciously aware