Determinism And Free Will
March 17, 2021 - paper 3 issues and options in psychology | issues & debates, determinism and free will definition:.
Determinism and Free Will is one of the classic debates in psychology and refers to the extent that psychologists believe human behaviour is influenced by forces beyond our control. Alternatively, do we have personal control over our actions.
Determinism: Is the view that an individual’s behaviour is control by internal (genes etc ) or external (e.g. learning behaviour from our parents) forces. This means that behaviour should be predictable.
Free Will: Used to refer to the alternative end of the spectrum where an individual is seen as self-determination. According to this view, individuals have an active role in controlling their behaviour (i.e. they are free to choose and are not acting in response to any internal or external pressures.
The Scientific Emphasis On Causal Explanations:
Different types of determinism:.
Determinism can take a number of different forms (biological, environmental, psychic determinism). This stems from the assumption that behaviour is rarely influenced by simply one factor
Is the belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment (such as systems of reward and punishment) that we cannot control. For example, if we are raised in an aggressive household we will learn that aggressive behaviour (through vicarious reinforcement) and will also display aggressive behaviour, through observing slim role models and vicarious reinforcement we could develop anorexia etc
Implications Of The Determinism And Free Will Debate:
The case FOR determinism
The notion that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws places psychology on equal footing with other more established sciences. The value of such research is that the prediction and control of human behaviour has led to the development of treatments, therapies and behavioural interventions that have benefitted many-for instance, psychotherapeutic drug treatment in controlling and managing schizophrenia. For example, if schizophrenia is caused by elevated levels of dopamine, treatments such as anti-psychotic drugs can be used to decrease levels of dopamine and alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia this supports the idea of determinism as it shows that the cause of increased levels of dopamine creates the ‘effect’ the disorder schizophrenia. Reduce the dopamine leads to an alleviation of the symptoms of schizophrenia.
In terms of hard determinism and the idea that the individual choice is not the cause of behaviour is not consistent with the way the legal system in the UK operates.
For example, in a court of law, offenders are held morally accountable for their actions very few individuals would represent themselves in a court of law by trying to appeal to a judge or jury that their offence was biologically, environmentally of psychically determined. This goes against a deterministic approach because it suggests that we are in control of our own behaviours, that free will can over ride any ‘biological determined’ ideal.
This suggests the effects of believing in free will has a positive on human behaviour and mental health.
Neurological studies have provided evidence against the idea of free will.
An interactionist perspective may offer the best compromise in the free will vs determinism debate. Approaches in psychology that have a cognitive element (like Social Learning Theory), tend to adopt an interactionist or soft determinism perspective. For example, Bandura argues that environmental factors are key to learning behaviour, but that we are free to choose (or make decisions about) who or what to attend to and when to perform certain behaviours (think about the f our requirements of social learning theory! Which one(s) of these requirements suggest that individuals have a free choice with regards to whether or not to imitate behaviour?)
This perspective offers perhaps the most complete explanation of many behaviours.
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Issues & Debates: Types of Determinism
Last updated 22 Mar 2021
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Biological determinism refers to the idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes. Research into the human genome provides evidence to support the idea of biological determinism. For example, research has found that a particular gene (IGF2r) is implicated in intelligence (Hill et al., 1999). Furthermore, Chorley et al., (1998) reported a statistically significant association between IQ test scores and the IGF2r gene on chromosome six, suggesting that intelligence is to some extent biologically determined.
Environmental determinism is the view that behaviour is determined or caused by forces outside the individual. Environmental determinism posits that our behaviour is caused by previous experience learned through classical and operant conditioning. For example, Bandura (1961) found that children with violent parents are more likely to become violent parents themselves, as a result of observational learning.
Finally, Psychic determinism , claims that human behaviour is the result of childhood experiences and innate drives (ID, Ego and Superego), as in Freud’s model of psychological development.
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Free Will & Determinism ( AQA A Level Psychology )
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Jonny is 25 years old. He is a very anxious person. Colleagues tease him at work because he chews his pen all the time and spends hours tidying his desk. He finds it difficult to make friends and has never had a girlfriend.
Use your knowledge of psychic determinism to explain Jonny’s behaviour.
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Dancho Essay Exemplar Hard determinism is the view that there are causes of our behaviour and it is possible to identify these causes. ... it puts psychology on equal footing with the well established sciences. This is highlighted by showing that determinism has led to effective treatments such as behavioural interventions, psychotherapies and ...
Although Dancho's behaviour may be somewhat influenced by biological factors. this is unlikely to be the only cause. Humanist psychologists have argued against determinism. Highlighting the fact that MZ twins are 100% genetically identical, but when looking at depression there is only a 40% concordance rate.
MARK SCHEME - A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY - 7182/3 - JUNE 2017. Possible application • biological determinism - Dancho's musical ability may be genetic -inherited from his father who also plays piano well, Dancho appears to suggest his talent is innate 'my earliest memories', 'music is a part of me'
Dancho Essay Exemplar ... Dancho may have been positively reinforced to play the piano by his father who taught him to play ... musical talent. Determinism is consistent with the aims of science. By arguing that behaviour follows laws, it puts psychology on equal footing with the well established sciences. This is highlighted by showing that
Biological determinism: this type of determinism assumes that biological processes control behaviour e.g. neurotransmission, hormones, genes. Environmental determinism: this type of determinism is based on the ideas behind conditioning i.e. that human beings are controlled by external forces such as agents of socialisation e.g. parents, teachers.
AQA A Level Psychology Paper 3: Issues and Options in Psychology 2017 model answer for the Dancho determinism 16 marker question. ... Writing on Murder - A Model Essay for Criminal Law Students Lana Law Books & Norma\'S Big Law Books. Popular books for Medicine, Health and Social Sciences.
AO1: Free Will. - Free Will is the notion that humans can make choices, and are not determined by biological or external factors. - Individuals have an active role in controlling their behaviour. - An example of free will in psychology is Humanism. - Rogers and Maslow believed that humans are self-determining.
Biological determinism is the view that our behaviour is determined by innate biological factors such as genes, hormones and neurotransmitters. Within the text, Dancho mentions how his father was a "concert pianist", suggesting that Dancho's musical ability was due to the passing on of genes from his father, suggesting Dancho's ability ...
Determinism: Is the view that an individual's behaviour is control by internal (genes etc ) or external (e.g. learning behaviour from our parents) forces. This means that behaviour should be predictable. Free Will: Used to refer to the alternative end of the spectrum where an individual is seen as self-determination.
Humanist psychologists argue against the determinism view, claiming that humans have self-determination and free will and that behaviour is not the result of any single cause. Furthermore, there is plenty of evidence to support humanist psychologists. For example, identical twin studies typically find an 80% similarity in intelligence scores and a 40% similarity in the likelihood of depression.
Her passion (apart from Psychology of course) is roller skating and when she is not working (or watching 'Coronation Street') she can be found busting some impressive moves on her local roller rink. Revision notes on 8.2.2 Free Will for the AQA A Level Psychology syllabus, written by the Psychology experts at Save My Exams.
Biological determinism refers to the idea that all human behaviour is innate and determined by genes. Research into the human genome provides evidence to support the idea of biological determinism. For example, research has found that a particular gene (IGF2r) is implicated in intelligence (Hill et al., 1999). Furthermore, Chorley et al., (1998) reported a statistically significant association ...
Studying with Academic Integrity. Studying from past student work is an amazing way to learn and research, however you must always act with academic integrity. This document is the prior work of another student. Thinkswap has partnered with Turnitin to ensure students cannot copy directly from our resources.
Referring to this statement, discuss the nature-nurture debate in psychology. (Total 16 marks) Q4. Dancho is a talented and famous musician. He was taught to play the piano by his father who was a concert pianist. From the age of four years Dancho attended a specialist music school where he spent many hours each day practising the piano.
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Dancho is a talented and famous musician. He was taught to play the piano by his father who was a concert pianist. From the age of four years Dancho attended a specialist music school where he spent many hours each day practising the piano. In a recent TV interview Dancho said, 'My earliest memories are of notes and melodies, so ...
Dancho's father was a pianist meaning biological determinism can explain his abilities through an inherited gene; The environment Dancho was in involved learning music and enthusiasm for music meaning he may have learned his abilities from the environment.
All answers. 1. 1 4 marks. Jonny is 25 years old. He is a very anxious person. Colleagues tease him at work because he chews his pen all the time and spends hours tidying his desk. He finds it difficult to make friends and has never had a girlfriend. Use your knowledge of psychic determinism to explain Jonny's behaviour.
Study with Quizlet and memorise flashcards containing terms like Define determinism, Define 'Biological determinism' and give an example in research, Define 'Environmental determinism' and give an example in research and others.
4 in existing works,11 I have found no fully satisfactory articulation of the argument I want to defend, and so I hope this paper will prove useful. The paper should be seen as a broad outline of my proposed argumentative strategy, rather than as a detailed development.
Essay questions - Issues and Debates. Dancho is a talented and famous musician. He was taught to play the piano by his father who was a concert pianist. From the age of four years Dancho attended a specialist music school where he spent many hours each day practising the piano. In a recent TV interview Dancho said, 'My earliest memories are of ...
Study with Quizlet and memorise flashcards containing terms like Dancho is a talented and famous musician. He was taught to play the piano by his father who was a concert pianist. From the age of four years Dancho attended a specialist music school where he spent many hours each day practising the piano. In a recent TV interview Dancho said, 'My earliest memories are of notes and melodies, so ...