free will and determinism Flashcards
(7 cards)
what is free will
belief that people can control their behaviour by making choices and so can override any biological or enviornmental influences
what is determinism
our behaviour is governed by internal or external forces over which we have no control
what is hard determinism
forces outside of our control shape our behaviour
what is soft determinism
behaviour is constrained by the enviornment or biological makeup but only to a certain extent and we have free will
what is enviornmental determinism
this is the view that behaviour is caused by forces outside of the individual, learned through cc aand oc
what is psychic determinism
behaviour is a result of childhood experiences and innate drives
what is the A03 of determinism
its consistent with the aims of science- it is conducted using lab experiments meaning results are replicable, in addition it has led to the development of treatments,therapies and behavioural interventions. this is a strength as it has led to practical applications.
genetic determinism isnt supported by research. e.g. the concordance rate for a study has never been 100% showing that genes dont 100% determine behaviour and there must be another factor
a limitation of determinism is that people arent going to be seen as responsible for their behaviour, if behaviour is due to outside forces this can be a defence for criminal acts. psychic determinism supports this.
free will has high face validity- everyday experiences gives the impression we excersize free will through the choices we make everyday. research also suggests people with an ILOC are mentally healthy. it makes cognitive sense.
psychologists believe free will is an illusion- BF SKINNER suggests behabiours such as being able to decide between different courses of action isnt free will but i may give us the illusion of it. if a person chooses to buy a car or see a film this is determined by previous reinforcement experiences. the view is more idealistic than valid
