Free Will & Determinism Evaluation

Free Will & Determinism Evaluation

1. Determinsim

   • Consistent with the aims of science
     • The notion that human behaviour is orderly and obeys laws...
       • Places psychology on equal footing with more established sciences
   • Research has value
     • Prediction and control of behaviour has lead to the development of treatments
       • For example drug treatment has helped with the treatment of SZ
         • Mental illnesses such as SZ cast doubt over the notion of free will
           • People with this condition sometimes lose control of their actions
   • Not consistent with our legal system
     • Offenders are held morally accountable for their actions
   • Unfalsifiable as an approach
     • Based on the idea that causes for behaviour will always exist...
       • Even though they may not yet have been found
         • As a basic principle this is impossible to prove wrong
           • Meaning the determinstic view of behaviour may not be as scientific as first thought

2. Free Will

   • Has face validity
     • Everyday experience gives the impression that we are constantly expressing free will
       • Through the decesions we make on a daily basis
       • It makes cognitive sense
   • Research suggests people have an internal locus of control
     • Suggesting that people have a high amount of influence over events and their own behaviour
       • Roberts et al (2000)
         • Demonstrated that adolescents with a strong belief in fatalism
           • The idea that their lives were decided for them by events outside of their control
             • Were at significantly greater risk of developing depression
               • This demonstrates that while we may not have free will
                 • Believing that we do may have a positive effect on our mental health
   • Neurological studies of decision making have revealed evidence against free will
     • Libet (1985) & Siong Soon et al (2008)
       • Demonstrated that the brain activity that determines the outcome of simple choices...
         • May predate our knowledge of having made such a choice
           • The researchers found that the activity related to whether to press a button with the left or right hand
             • Occurs in the brain up to ten seconds before partcipants report being concsiously aware of making such a decesion
               • This shows even or most basic experiences of free will are decided and determined by our brain before we are aware of them
                 • So we might not have free will after all