Determinism - AO3 Flashcards
Genetic vs environmental determinism (criticism)…
P - Problem with both genetic and environmental determinism is they both can’t be the sole determining factor in behaviour.
E - Example: studies that compare identical twins find about 80% similarity on intelligence and 40% for depression.
E - Means genes do not entirely determine our behaviour but equally the environment doesn’t entirely either.
L - Means an interactionist rather than determinist approach better represents reality.
Scientific determinism …
P - Dennet (2003) argues that in physical sciences there is no such thing as total determinism.
E - Chaos theory proposes small changes in initial conditions can lead to the butterfly effect.
E - Determinist explanations tend to over simplify human behaviour, they may be suitable for animals but human behaviour id less rigid and impacted by cognitive factors and biological impulses.
L - Means finding a simple determinist formula from research is unrealistic.
Criminal cases …
P - Murderers in the US claimed their behaviour was determined by aggressive inherited tendancies.
E - Stephen Mobley killed a pizza shop manager and claimed he was ‘born to kill’, due to family history in violence.
E - The argument was rejected and Mobley was sentenced to death.
L - A determinist position may be seen as undesirable because it would allow individuals to excuse their behaviour.
