free will vs determinism

• determinism 


  the belief that behaviour is controlled by external or internal factors acting upon the individual and beyond their control, 3 types of determinism: environmental, biological and psychic
• hard determinism 


  strongly saying that are lives are governed by external and internal forces that are out of our control

  • biological explanation sees behaviour has as the product of genes and neurochemistry
• soft determinism 


  allows some element of free will and suggests things influence our behaviour but we can still make conscious decisions about our lives

  • through social learning theory as we make decisions on whether to observe and imitate
• environmental determinism 


  our environment (home lives and culture) determines our behaviour

  • phobias are a result of conditioning such as little Albert and Skinners rats though operant conditioning determining their behaviour
• biological determinism 


  our internal biology (genetic, physical health and nervous system) causes our behaviour

  • the ANS controls the fight or flight response which happens out of our control
• psychic determinism


  our unconscious drives and instincts determinism our behaviour

  • freud explains the psychosexual stages of development suggests that each stage is characterised by a conflict which unresolved leads to fixations in their adulthood
• free will 


  suggests that we all have a choice and can control and choose our own behaviour, a common feature of the humanistic approach
• strengths of free will

  emphasises the importance of the individual and studying the individual differences and it fits into societies view of personal responsibility - if you break the law you should be punished
• limitations of free will


  free will is subjective as some argue it doesn't exist and it is impossible to scientifically test the concept of free will
• strengths of determinism 


  it is scientific so allows a cause and effect relationship to be established and it gives plausible explanations for behaviour backed up by evidence
• limitations of determinism 


  does not account for individual differences as underestimates the uniqueness of human beings and their freedom to choose their own destiny