Free Will and Determinism
This is the debate between those who believe that behaviour and thought is determined by
factors acting on the individual and is beyond their control (determinism) and those who
believe that individuals choose their own actions (free will).
Determinism
The determinist approach proposes that all behaviour has a cause and is therefore
predictable. Free will is an illusion, and our behaviour is governed by internal or external
forces over which we have no control. This is hard determinism. Soft determinism is a
middle ground - people do have a choice, but that choice is constrained by external or
internal factors.
There are 3 types of determinism:
1.Environmental (external): the cause of behaviour is outside the individual, such as
parental influence, the media, or school. Approaches which adopt this position
include behaviourism and social learning theory.
e.g., Bandura showed that children become aggressive through observation and imitation of
their violent parents.
2.Biological (internal): a hard deterministic approach. the cause of behaviour is internal,
biological systems such as our genetics, neurological and hormonal processes
e.g., fight or flight response.
High levels of testosterone cause aggressive behaviour
Hereditary link of certain mental health disorders eg schizophrenia, evidence from twin
studies
3.Psychic: psychodynamic approach suggests adult behaviour or personality is
predetermined by events in early childhood. Freud believed the causes of our behaviour are
unconscious, therefore hidden from us.
Eg Little Hans -phobia caused by unconscious link to fear of father because of Oedipus
complex
This is the debate between those who believe that behaviour and thought is determined by
factors acting on the individual and is beyond their control (determinism) and those who
believe that individuals choose their own actions (free will).
Determinism
The determinist approach proposes that all behaviour has a cause and is therefore
predictable. Free will is an illusion, and our behaviour is governed by internal or external
forces over which we have no control. This is hard determinism. Soft determinism is a
middle ground - people do have a choice, but that choice is constrained by external or
internal factors.
There are 3 types of determinism:
1.Environmental (external): the cause of behaviour is outside the individual, such as
parental influence, the media, or school. Approaches which adopt this position
include behaviourism and social learning theory.
e.g., Bandura showed that children become aggressive through observation and imitation of
their violent parents.
2.Biological (internal): a hard deterministic approach. the cause of behaviour is internal,
biological systems such as our genetics, neurological and hormonal processes
e.g., fight or flight response.
High levels of testosterone cause aggressive behaviour
Hereditary link of certain mental health disorders eg schizophrenia, evidence from twin
studies
3.Psychic: psychodynamic approach suggests adult behaviour or personality is
predetermined by events in early childhood. Freud believed the causes of our behaviour are
unconscious, therefore hidden from us.
Eg Little Hans -phobia caused by unconscious link to fear of father because of Oedipus
complex
