Debates – Free Will VS Determinism Flashcards
(25 cards)
Define the free will vs determinism debate.
This debate asks whether human behaviour is determined by factors outside our control (hard determinism), or if individuals can choose how they behave (free will).
Define free will and give an example from Psychology.
Free will is the belief that individuals have full control over their behaviour.
Example: Humanistic psychology assumes that people have free will, allowing them to make choices that help them progress through Maslow’s hierarchy towards self-actualisation.
Define hard determinism and name its types.
Hard determinism suggests that behaviour is caused by factors beyond our control. Types include:
• Biological determinism – genes, hormones, brain structures
• Environmental determinism – learning, conditioning
• Psychic determinism – unconscious drives and childhood experiences
Give a strength of free will over hard determinism.
Free will has positive implications for the legal system. If people have choice over their behaviour, they can be held responsible for crimes, supporting justice and accountability.
Give another strength of free will.
Free will promotes psychological health. Believing one has control helps people feel empowered to change irrational thoughts and overcome issues like depression, reducing hopelessness.
Give a limitation of hard determinism.
Hard determinism suggests behaviour is beyond a person’s control, which undermines moral responsibility. If genes or brain chemistry determine crime, should offenders be punished? This challenges ethical and legal accountability.
Give another limitation of hard determinism.
It may promote feelings of helplessness. Believing disorders are biologically fixed (e.g. genetic) may make people feel they can’t improve, worsening mental health.
Give a strength of hard determinism over free will.
Hard determinism supports scientific research. It enables researchers to identify causes (e.g. genes, neurotransmitters), leading to theories and evidence-based treatments.
Give another strength of hard determinism.
It has practical applications. Deterministic theories have enabled effective treatments, such as drug therapy for schizophrenia by altering dopamine levels.
Give a limitation of free will.
Free will is not scientific. Without a clear cause, it’s difficult to establish cause and effect, making it hard to build reliable psychological theories.
Give another limitation of free will.
Free will makes treatment difficult. If behaviour is due to unique personal choices, standardised treatments are less effective, complicating therapy.
Outline biological determinism and give a Psychology example.
Biological determinism argues behaviour is controlled by internal biological factors.
Example: OCD has been linked to genes like the COMT and SERT genes; schizophrenia is linked to dopamine overactivity.
Give a strength of biological determinism.
Twin studies show higher concordance rates for disorders in MZ twins than DZ twins, supporting a genetic influence.
Give another strength of biological determinism.
It led to drug therapies, e.g. antipsychotics for schizophrenia, which successfully treat many patients, supporting the role of biology.
Outline environmental determinism and give a Psychology example.
Environmental determinism states that behaviour is caused by external factors, especially learning experiences.
Example: Phobias develop via classical conditioning (e.g. dog bite → fear) and are maintained by operant conditioning (avoidance reduces fear).
Give a strength of environmental determinism.
Supporting evidence from the Little Albert study shows that phobias can be conditioned, demonstrating environmental influence on behaviour.
Give another strength of environmental determinism.
It has led to effective treatments like systematic desensitisation and flooding, supporting the importance of learned behaviours.
Define psychic determinism and give a Psychology example.
Psychic determinism suggests unconscious mental processes cause behaviour.
Example: According to Freud, gender identity is shaped by the Oedipus/Electra complex; offending may be due to a weak or over-harsh superego.
Give a strength of psychic determinism.
It led to psychoanalysis, a therapy that explores unconscious motives. This therapy has been effective for some, supporting the unconscious as a factor.
Give a limitation of psychic determinism.
It is unscientific and unfalsifiable. Since the unconscious cannot be observed or measured, its role in behaviour cannot be empirically tested.
Define soft determinism and give a Psychology example.
Soft determinism suggests behaviour is influenced by external/internal factors but individuals still have some control and choice.
Example: In Ellis’ ABC model, the activating event may be determined, but the response (rational or irrational thinking) is under personal control.
Give a strength of soft determinism.
It supports legal responsibility while acknowledging influences, allowing punishment where appropriate but still recognising contextual factors.
Give a limitation of soft determinism.
It is not scientific. Including an element of free will undermines the ability to establish causality, making theory building and prediction difficult.
Explain what is meant by the scientific emphasis on causal explanations.
Science aims to establish cause-and-effect relationships. Determinism supports this by identifying and manipulating variables (IVs) to measure outcomes (DVs). Free will undermines this process, making behaviour harder to predict or control scientifically.
