Free will and determinism -A-Level Psychology
Free will and determinism
Free will:
-Suggest that as human beings we are essentially self determining and free to choose our thoughts and actions. It doesn’t deny that there may be biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on behaviour but implies that we are able to reject these.This is advocated by the humanistic approach.
Determinism:
-Says that free will has no place in explaining behaviour
-The determinist approach proposes that all behavior has a cause and is thus predictable. Free will is an illusion, and our behavior is governed by internal or external forces over which we have no control.
Hard determinism(fatalism)– suggest that all human behaviour has a cause and it should be possible to identify and describe these causes.Assumes that everything we think and do is dictated by external and internal forces that we can not control.
- Is compatible with the aims of science
Soft determinism-suggests that humans have some conscious mental control over the way they behave.Soft determinism represents a middle ground, people do have a choice, but that choice is constrained by external or internal factors and that there is an element of free will in all behaviour.
-cognitive approach
Biological ,environmental and psychic determinism:
Biological determinism -The belief that behaviour is caused by biological (genetic ,hormonal evolutionary) influences that we cannot control. The biological approach emphasises the role of biological determinism in behaviour. Physiological and neurological processes are not under our conscious control e.g. the influence of the autonomic nervous system during times of stress.
Environmental determinism– the belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (such as systems of reward and punishment) that we cannot control.BF Skinner described free will as an illusion and argued that all behaviour is a result of conditioning. Experience of choice is the sum total of reinforcement contingencies that have acted upon us through our lives e.g teachers and institutions.
Psychic determinism– the belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control. Sigmund Freud placed more emphasis on the influence of biological drives and instincts than the behaviourists. This determinism suggests that human behaviour is determined and directed by unconscious conflicts ,repressed in childhood.
The scientific emphasis on causal explanations:
The basic principles of science is that everything in the universe has a cause and that these causes can be explained by general laws. These general laws allow scientists to predict and control events in the future. Therefore in psychology the lab experiments enable researchers to simulate the conditions of the ‘test tube’ and remove all extraneous variables and attempt to precisely control and predict human behaviour .
Evaluation:
For determinism- determinism is consistent with the aims of science. The value of such research is that prediction and control of human behaviour has led to the development of treatments, therapies and behavioural interventions.
Against determinism- in accordance to the hard determinist aspect is not consistent with the way in which our legal system operates. In a court of law ,offenders are held morally accountable for their actions. Determinism can be seen to be unfalsifiable because it is based on the idea that causes of behaviour will always exist even though they may have not been found.
For free will- free will has the concept of face validity as it makes cognitive sense. Research suggests that people who have an internal locus of control ,so believe they have a high degree of influence over events on their own behaviour, tend to be more mentally healthy.
Against free will- neurological studies of decision-making by Libet have revealed evidence against free will and that the most basic experiences of free-will are decided and determined by our brain before we become aware of them. The researchers found that activity related to whether to press a button with the left or right hand occurs in the brain up to 10 seconds before participants report being consciously aware of making such a decision.
Interactionist approach-compromise between determinism and free will e.g the social learning theory
Free will is the belief that individuals have the ability to make choices and decisions that are not predetermined by external factors or events. It suggests that human beings have the power to act freely and independently, based on their own thoughts, feelings, and desires.
Determinism is the belief that all events, including human actions and decisions, are ultimately determined by preexisting causes or conditions. It suggests that the choices we make are not truly free, but rather are the result of a complex chain of cause-and-effect relationships.
This is a subject of much debate among philosophers and psychologists. Some argue that free will and determinism are fundamentally incompatible, while others suggest that they can be reconciled through a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between external factors and individual agency.
The debate over free will and determinism has been a central topic in psychology for many years, as it touches on fundamental questions about human behavior, motivation, and decision-making. Understanding these concepts is important for A-Level students studying psychology, as it helps them to develop a deeper understanding of how the mind works.
Some of the most influential theories on free will and determinism include psychoanalytic theory, behaviorism, cognitive psychology, and existentialism. Each of these perspectives offers a unique perspective on the relationship between external factors and individual agency.
Cultural and social factors can play a significant role in shaping beliefs about free will and determinism. For example, some cultures may place a greater emphasis on individual agency and autonomy, while others may emphasize the importance of external factors like fate or destiny.
The debate over free will and determinism has important practical implications for fields like law, ethics, and politics. Understanding these concepts can help A-Level students to develop a more nuanced understanding of these areas and their impact on society as a whole.
Still got a question? Leave a comment
Leave a comment