Discuss free will vs determinism in psychology (25)

by muttley-rlbhotmailcouk (student)

The debate surrounding free will and determinism is one that has occupied psychologists and philosophers for centuries. Those who believe in determinism believe that all behaviour is determined by external and internal forces acting on the person. An example of an external force would be parents rewarding certain type of behaviour, therefore further encouraging it, whilst an internal force would be that of hormones. Those who believe in free will believe matters are slightly more complex. They agree that external and internal factors do exist but that people have free will to choose their behaviour. The argument of freewill and determinism can be summed up by the questions “could a person’s behaviour have been different in a certain situation if they willed it?” Those who believe in determinism would argue no whilst those who believe in free will would say yes.

Determinism is supported more in psychology than free will. Behaviourists are strongly determinists. Determinists claim that each action is caused by a cause and human action is no exception. But the simple reply to this point is that people do make decisions. They are not bound to certain pathways in life. (They can choose whether they want to write… another essay! or just say that they ‘forgot’ and not write it). However Skinner argued that all behaviour is determined by environmental events and that humans tend to repeat behaviours that are rewarded. Skinner stated that free will is simply an illusion. This idea has come from individualist societies and is only present in these society’s.

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Non supporting evidence towards Skinner’s ‘illusion to free will’ came from Dennett. He pointed out a flaw in Skinner's approach. If people’s actions are solely determined by the external rewards and punishments then peoples behaviours would be constantly changing to conform to the rewards and punishments of our society. Dennett stated that people have long-term goals and strive to meet these rather than following others. Skinner focused exclusively on the belief that our behaviour is determined by the external environment and ignored behaviours such as anticipating future events and evaluating consequences of our behaviour.

Research into human genes ...

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Research into human genes has increasing evidence to support the idea genetic determinism. This is the belief that our behaviours are determined by our genes. For examples research on depression and intelligence in our genes has identified specific genes. However it is doubtful that 100% genetic determination will be the full explanation for our behaviour. Non supporting evidence for genetic determination comes from twins studies. They both have identical genetic makeup but only share 70-80% similarity on a range of characteristics such as intelligence and depression. Therefor genes do not entirely determine behaviour.

Freud also believed strongly in determinism. According to Freud despite our sense of having free will this is not proof that we have free will. He believes that we may think that our behaviors are free but this is because our behaviors are hidden from us e.g. our unconscious ego.

The biological approach believes that behaviour is determined by a person’s genes and internal systems. Evidence to support this theory are mental disorders. These disorders are not the patients fault, therefore your behaviour is determined by your biology. Their biology determines their future disorders and conditions and therefore cannot be controlled unless their biological makeup is manipulated. This has been proved, to an extent, with the knowledge that disorders such as schizophrenia are as a result of high levels of dopamine within the brain. However this can’t be generalised to the whole population as disorders and conditions only affect a small amount of the population. This theory can’t be generalised for healthy individuals.

In evaluation to the theory that disorders are determined by someones biology. Then the treatment should target their genes and DNA. But then why do certain treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy that do not focus on our genes but on, changing our behaviour and outlook on life have cases of success. Evidence to support this theory is from March et al, who used CBT on 300 adolescents diagnosed with depression. He found after 36 weeks 80% were responding positively to the treatment. Therefore we cannot completely say that psychological disorders have a biological makeup.

The ethical argument also supports free will. In order to expect moral responsibility, one must accept the concept of free will. If an individual’s behaviour is determined by forces beyond an individual’s control then the individual cannot be held responsible for their actions. However our laws insist that adults do have individual responsibility for their actions, therefore society supports free will. Supporting evidence is from Stephen Mobley, who killed a pizza shop manager and claimed that he was ‘born to kill’ because of his family history of violence. His evidence was rejected.

In conclusion I believe that soft determinism is best explanation for our behaviour.It is an approach that argues that people’s behaviour is constrained by the environment, but only to a certain extent. Some behaviour is more constrained than other. There is an element of free will in all behaviour however it can also be controlled by outside forces. William James supported this approach which is a medium between the two extreme views. The issue of the extent to which we have free will is more of a philosophical question rather than scientific, as both beliefs are unfalsifiable. All psychologists agree on the fact that behaviour is made up, to an extent of biology, past experiences and present environment.