Free will vs determinism

Question 1

what is the free will vs determinism debate?

Answer 1

explores the extent to which our behaviour is controlled by forces outside of our conscious control

Question 2

what is determinism?

Answer 2

our behaviour is shaped by internal and external forces we have no control over

Question 3

what are the two versions of determinism?

Answer 3

soft determinism
hard determinism

Question 4

what is soft determinism?

Answer 4

our behaviour is largely controlled by deterministic factors however we have still have some room for conscious decision making

Question 5

what is hard determinism?

Answer 5

no free will over behaviour. all behaviour has an internal or external cause

Question 6

what are the three types of determinism?

Answer 6

biological determinism
environmental determinism
psychic determinism

Question 7

what is biological determinism?

Answer 7

behaviour is innate and determined by biological influences we have no control over.
e.g. genetic makeup makes someone more vulnerable to OCD

Question 8

what is environmental determinism?

Answer 8

behaviour is determined by external factors of the environment
e.g. phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning

Question 9

what is psychic determinism?

Answer 9

behaviour is determined by innate drives and unconscious conflicts from childhood experiences
e.g. maternal deprivation as an explanation for crime

Question 10

what is the scientific emphasis on causal explanations?

Answer 10

basic scientific principle that every event has a cause and can be explained by general laws
this is why lab experiments are favourable as can demonstrate causal relationships

Question 11

which approaches are deterministic?

Answer 11

psychodynamic (hard psychic det)
biological (hard biological det)
behaviourist (hard environmental det)
cognitive (soft determinism)

Question 12

which approach is free will?

Answer 12

humanistic

Question 13

evaluation of free will vs determinism (brief)

Answer 13

strength - free will has good face validity
weakness - determinism can justify bad behaviour
weakness - 100% genetic determinism is unlikely

Question 14

strength of free will vs determinism

Answer 14

free will has good face validity as in everyday situations we appear to be in control of our behaviour and make conscious decisions. research also suggests people who believe they are in control and have an internal locus of control are more likely to be mentally healthy. whereas individuals who have an external locus of control are at a significantly greater risk of developing depression. this suggests that the effects of believing in free will has a positive effect on mental health

Question 15

weaknesses of free will vs determinism

Answer 15

hard deterministic standpoint can be used to justify behaviour when someone has committed a crime. this is undesirable as it gives people an excuse for bad behaviour. furthermore, deterministic views go against the principles of the judicial system which sees individuals as having moral responsibility over their own actions and behaviours. therefore, the possible implications of deterministic viewpoints are socially sensitive.

100% genetic determinism is unlikely to be found for any behaviour. studies that compare monozygotic twins have found concordance rates of 80% for intelligence and 40% for depression. this suggests genes don’t entirely determine behaviour and supports an interactionist approach to explaining behaviour. the reason for higher concordance rates in monozygotic twins could be due to the fact that they are more likely to share the same environment rather than because of their genetic similarity