, The free-will determinism debate
Hard and soft determinism
Hard:
• An extreme determinism view
• Accepted by radical behaviourists
• Behaviour is controlled e.g. genetics or the environment
• Behaviour is predictable and can be scientifically analysed
• We can identify the cause of all behaviour
Soft:
• Behaviour caused by conscious mental life rather than external factors
• Recognises the importance of subjective experience
• Includes an element of free will
• We have an awareness of thoughts and ability to choose courses of action
Types of determinism
Biological determinism: all behaviour is controlled by the NS, hormones, the brain,
evolution and genes. We cannot change these forces.
Internal determinism: the belief in internal causes, including our instinctive needs to
eat, sleep and drink.
Psychic determinism: Freud’s psychodynamic theory, all behaviour is caused by
unconscious forces associated with life and death instincts. Includes repressed conflicts,
wishes and memories in the unconscious mind.
Over-determinism: Freud - a single behaviour has multiple causes and to understand
the behaviour, numerous causes need to be identified. Used to explain dreams which are
meaningful psychic events caused by events of the previous day and childhood
experiences.
Environmental determinism: all behaviour is caused by environmental stimuli, due to
two factors the external environment - prior reinforcement ( + and -) and punishment.
Extreme behaviourists.
External determinism: behaviour occurs because of a stimulus in the environment.
, Obedience
Milgram:
• Demonstrates the ‘power of the situation’
• Social factors have a strong causal effect
• Ps felt they had no choice but to obey
• 65% continued to the end despite believing they were hurting others
• Claimed they were in the ‘agentic state’ (under the control of an
authority figure)
However, they had the option to disobey - in support of free will. They
had the ability to say no, so had moral responsibility for their actions.
Anxiety disorders
Environmental determinism: phobias are determined by external influences, through
operant conditioning.
Applied to systematic desensitisation, which aims to remove the cause.
Lazovik: effective for phobias of snakes. Treatment group showed less fear even 6
months later. But it didn’t resolve the underlying conflict, just controls the symptoms.
Hard and soft determinism
Hard:
• An extreme determinism view
• Accepted by radical behaviourists
• Behaviour is controlled e.g. genetics or the environment
• Behaviour is predictable and can be scientifically analysed
• We can identify the cause of all behaviour
Soft:
• Behaviour caused by conscious mental life rather than external factors
• Recognises the importance of subjective experience
• Includes an element of free will
• We have an awareness of thoughts and ability to choose courses of action
Types of determinism
Biological determinism: all behaviour is controlled by the NS, hormones, the brain,
evolution and genes. We cannot change these forces.
Internal determinism: the belief in internal causes, including our instinctive needs to
eat, sleep and drink.
Psychic determinism: Freud’s psychodynamic theory, all behaviour is caused by
unconscious forces associated with life and death instincts. Includes repressed conflicts,
wishes and memories in the unconscious mind.
Over-determinism: Freud - a single behaviour has multiple causes and to understand
the behaviour, numerous causes need to be identified. Used to explain dreams which are
meaningful psychic events caused by events of the previous day and childhood
experiences.
Environmental determinism: all behaviour is caused by environmental stimuli, due to
two factors the external environment - prior reinforcement ( + and -) and punishment.
Extreme behaviourists.
External determinism: behaviour occurs because of a stimulus in the environment.
, Obedience
Milgram:
• Demonstrates the ‘power of the situation’
• Social factors have a strong causal effect
• Ps felt they had no choice but to obey
• 65% continued to the end despite believing they were hurting others
• Claimed they were in the ‘agentic state’ (under the control of an
authority figure)
However, they had the option to disobey - in support of free will. They
had the ability to say no, so had moral responsibility for their actions.
Anxiety disorders
Environmental determinism: phobias are determined by external influences, through
operant conditioning.
Applied to systematic desensitisation, which aims to remove the cause.
Lazovik: effective for phobias of snakes. Treatment group showed less fear even 6
months later. But it didn’t resolve the underlying conflict, just controls the symptoms.
