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Learning Objectives

This lesson aims to consolidate knowledge of the free will and determinism debate and apply it in an examination setting. Students will discuss the view that free will is an illusion, with behavior being the result of internal and external forces. The lesson will cover various approaches and their stance on the debate, including behaviorism, biological, cognitive, humanism, psychodynamic, and social learning theory.

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Learning Objectives

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  1. Learning Objectives • To consolidate knowledge of the free will and determinism debate • To apply knowledge in an examination setting Do Now: What key information have you learnt over the past few lessons to help you to answer: ‘Free will is an illusion. What seems to be freely chosen behaviour is really the result of internal and external forces acting upon the individual.’ Discuss this view. Refer to at least one topic area in your answer. (12 marks)

  2. Intro: the approaches and their stance on the debate • Each station has a picture on it related to the approach, you will have 3 mins per approach! • Structure your notes like this • Approach: • Stance on the debate: • Why:

  3. Behaviourism • This approach is deterministic: people’s behaviour is assumed to be entirely controlled by their environment and their prior learning, so they do not play any part in choosing their own actions.

  4. Biological • Biological psychologists are generally deterministic in their outlook • There are biological limitations on freedom of choice. Behaviour is caused by brain activity/chemistry/genetic endowment and hormones (this approach also accepts the interaction of biology and the environment) e.g Gale (1979) found that introverted people (who are born with an over-aroused nervous system) may choose to spend time in quiet and peaceful places; this decreases their levels of arousal. There are no choices; behaviour which appears to be freely chosen is determined by biological factors interacting with the environment.

  5. Cognitive • Cognitive psychologists are divided on the issue of free will. Some believe people can choose their actions, others are more deterministic and suggest that we can no more decide on our own behaviour than a computer can. • Most people agree that cognitivists take a view of soft determinism – people select what to attend to etc so choose their thoughts and behaviour but these choices are determined by innate capabilities and past experience.

  6. Humanism • The humanistic approach explicitly states that people have free will because people are all able to direct their lives towards self chosen goals as seen in non directive therapy. This sets it apart from other approaches (with the possible exception of some cognitivists). It could be suggested, however, that their position on free will is incoherent, since at the same time as insisting on people’s ability to choose their actions, they explain how our behaviour is determined by our treatment at the hands of others and an innate set of needs.

  7. Psychodynamic • The psychodynamic approach rejects the idea that people have free will. A person’s behaviour is determined by their unconscious life and death instincts and their early experiences, making this a deterministic approach.

  8. Social Learning Theory • Although the approach appears less mechanistic than behaviourism, social learning theorists generally do not believe in free will, and take a deterministic view of human behaviour. Their emphasis on the role of cognitive and motivational factors may appear to give freedom of choice a role in behaviour, but it should be remembered that a person’s motivation is the product of learning that took place at an earlier time and that therefore their ‘choices’ are not free. • Environment determines behaviour and behaviour determines the environment as individuals seek different experiences. Bandura suggests that there is an interaction between person, behaviour and environment which he calls ‘reciprocal determinism’

  9. Main • You are producing an A3 summary for this area of the specification • Each of you has a ‘spec snippet’ • The aim of this activity is to summarise the whole of the debate onto your A3 sheet

  10. Plenary • ‘Free will is an illusion. What seems to be freely chosen behaviour is really the result of internal and external forces acting upon the individual.’ Discuss this view. Refer to at least one topic area in your answer. (12 marks) • The ‘scope’ for this essay is clearly very broad. It is up to you: which topics / approaches you include to highlight your points and which side of the argument you will choose to support / refute • Homework DUE Tuesday 14th February

  11. ‘Free will is an illusion. What seems to be freely chosen behaviour is really the result of internal and external forces acting upon the individual.’ Discuss this view. Refer to at least one topic area in your answer. (12 marks) • Examiners must read the whole response prior to marking in order to make a band • judgement about whether the response is Very Good (10-12 marks), Good (7-9 • marks), Average to Weak (4-6 marks) or Poor (1-3 marks). Examiners should be • guided by the band judgement when annotating scripts. • AO1 Up to four marks for demonstrating knowledge and understanding relevant to the • question. • Maximum of one mark for knowledge of the debate: whether the behaviour is • caused by the will of the individual/under the control of the individual or caused • by forces over which the person has no control. • Credit outline of internal and external forces. Accept references to biological, • psychic and environmental determinism. • Accept explanations of free will as an ‘illusion’ particularly with reference to • Skinner though this is not essential. • Credit description of relevant evidence up to one mark. • AO2 Up to eight marks for analysis of the debate and the topics which are discussed. • Better candidates may discuss the implications of the causes of behaviour for • moral responsibility and for psychology as a science. Accept discussion points • on the problem with free will and the difference between free will and soft • determinism. Likely topic areas are social influence, particularly Milgram’s • findings on obedience to authority, gender, aggression, phobias, mood disorders, • substance abuse and offending behaviour. Credit analysis in relation to • approaches, most likely the humanistic, psychodynamic and behaviourist • approaches and other debates such as reductionism v. holism. • Credit use of relevant evidence.

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