Comparison of Free Will & Determinism
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 8.1.7
The Psychodynamic Approach
There are five approaches to psychology: psychodynamic, biological, cognitive, behaviourist and humanistic. Mostly, they fall on the deterministic side. But some involve some free will.
Freud
- The psychodynamic approach is based on Freud’s work.
- Freud believed that behaviour was guided by unconscious forces. In other words, these forces are determining behaviour.
- This is called psychic determinism.
Psychic determinism
- For example, if someone forgot to go to their doctor’s appointment, they would think it was an accident.
- Freud would interpret this action as the person actually, unconsciously, not wanting to go.
- So the person had a behaviour (forgetting) based on a cause (not wanting to go).
Conscious intention
- Freud did also state that some behaviours were as a result of conscious intention.
- An example of conscious intention would be a person choosing to go to therapy.
The Biological Approach and the Behaviourist Approach
The biological approach is a deterministic approach. The behaviourist approach is also deterministic.
The biological approach
- This approach summarises behaviour as being caused by biological influences.
- Examples of biological influences would include: genetics, hormones, and structure.
The biological approach and determinism
- For example, schizophrenia has been explained by being caused by genetics and abnormalities in brain structures.
- To be technically biologically deterministic, behaviours must be solely caused by biological influences.
The behaviourist approach
- The behaviourist approach is also deterministic.
- Skinner stated that behaviour is based on environmental influences.
- Behaviour is the result of encouraging behaviour through reinforcement or discouraging behaviour by punishing.
- This concept is known as environmental determinism.
Environmental determinism
- Differences in behaviours amongst different people can be explained by them having gone through different environmental conditioning. They experience a different history of reinforcement of behaviours.
- For example, siblings behave differently because of their parents treating them according to birth order.
The Cognitive Approach and The Humanistic Approach
The cognitive approach is a combination of free will and determinism. The humanistic approach is the only approach that is based more on free will.
The cognitive approach - determinism
- The cognitive approach is a combination of free will and determinism.
- On the deterministic side, the brain receives external sensory information and processes this information.
- The processing will lead to different behaviours.
- In addition, people’s brain structure and cognitive ability can have genetic roots.
The cognitive approach - free will
- On the free will side, people can use cognitive reasoning to make decisions. People can make choices by thinking about them.
The cognitive approach - both
- Taken together, people are influenced by outside behaviours and their own brain structure (deterministic) but can impose reasoning on their thinking (free will).
The humanistic approach
- Finally, the humanistic approach is basically the only approach that is based more on free will.
- Humanists believe that people can choose how to behave to achieve their full potential.
- I.e. all individuals control their behaviour.
Test yourself on Comparison of Free Will & Determinism
What is psychic determinism?
Which of these would NOT be a factor influencing behaviour in the biological approach?
Which psychological approach mainly focuses on free will?