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Running head: DEFENSE PAPER 3

Defense Paper 3 Jocelyn Whitfield Grand Canyon University: (PSY-565-0101) Contemporary and Ethical Issues of Psychology 12/22/14

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As I look at this week’s assignment I have begun to learn so much on this topic. The free will theory states, that in order for someone to act freely, that person must be the originator of their actions. The thought of free will says that we act freely when we're allowed to do what we want and are not constrained in doing so. For example, if I'm held at gunpoint and told to go rob a bank; I'm constrained in a meaningful way from doing what I'd like to, and so the act of robbery in that case is not free. I think it also touches on one's belief system as to whether or not they believe God controls what will happen and already has it planned out or can we alter this and change/determine what will happen. I always go by the saying "where there is a will there is a way" I have always lived by this saying and believe that we control our own free will but I also feel some things are predetermined and cannot be changed for instance fate. Another example would be "if it's meant to be it will happen" or "everything happens for a reason" these two quotes make predeterminism seem more plausible. However, free will gives a more reasonable psychological explanation whereas determinism goes into a more biological perspective. The theory of free will revolves around the idea that we as humans have the ability to make choices and that these conscious choices exist, to an extent, not even related to our own past experience. Determinism on the other hand presents the idea that an event can be explained by a group of cause and effect relationships that have brought that occurring event into being. In this paper I will take a position on defending free-will as I believe, although, many factors can influence us psychology; in the end we can alter and change some of life’s negatives into positives. This paper will also, describe how each theory supports or refutes my position on free-will, understanding the psychological ramifications of each theory and include examples to support my conclusions.

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Many people feel that the difference between free will and determinism is that free will allows for the freedom of choice and determinism can be viewed as the lack of real choice. The argument behind determinism is that every action can be accounted for by a group of life variables that are responsible for the initiation of that action. Determinist think that for every action there is a reaction. For example, the concept of hard determinism (Sappington, 1990) defines human behavior as entirely determined by a variety of factors outside the person. Thus, determinism is also the primary viewpoint of most behaviorists. One common theme that is put forth by the majority of deterministic theorists is the idea that free will is an illusionary state (Freud, 1916-1917). Due to the logical implications of determinism (the cause and effect relationship), it has become the basis for scientific theory. The basis of determinism holds that every element of life are somehow related, while the nature of free will maintains for the existence of choice. However, both appear reasonable as analyzed through the perspective of the other. According to freewill a person is responsible for their own actions. For example, Bandura (1961) showed that children with violent parents would in turn become violent parents themselves due to the fact of acting through observation and imitation. Behaviorists are strong believers in determinism (Skinner, 1971). B.F. Skinner believed people are products of their environment. According to B.F. Skinner we are not aware of the environmental causes of our own behavior or other people’s behavior. Skinner took a standpoint of believing the person who commits a crime has no real choice. People are propelled in this direction by environmental circumstances and a personal history, which makes breaking the law natural and inevitable. For the law-abiding an accumulation of reinforces has the opposite effect.

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Determinism was supported by Sigmund Freud as he argued that our behavior and our thoughts are controlled by unconscious mind (Freud, 1916-1917). The determinist approach proposes that all behavior is caused by preceding factors and is thus predictable. Free will is the idea that we are able to have some choice in how we act and assumes that we are free to choose our behavior, in other words we are self-determined. For example, people can make a free choice as to whether to commit a crime or not (unless they are a child or they are insane). This does not mean that behavior is random, but we are free from the causal influences of past events. Deterministic explanations for behavior reduce individual responsibility. For example a psychological ramification of determinism could be someone arrested for a murder or brutal offense. This person might try to go for the insanity plea as they were not responsible for their behavior; they may try to blame actions on their upbringing, physical abuse during childhood, relationship stresses or mental illness. This means they may feel as if their behavior was predetermined by outside factors. As a defender of the free will view I believe that determinism does not hold individuals responsible for their actions and behavior. I feel that by our government creating general laws of behavior, deterministic psychology underestimates the uniqueness of human beings and their freedom to choose their own path in life. Psychological ramifications of free will appear to be undermined by mental illness. For example, individuals with Bipolar disorder can randomly lose control of their thoughts and actions and people with depression can also lose control over their emotions. So with mental illness it takes free will out of the equation and places the blame on predetermined factors such as genetics. Psychological ramifications of free will and determinism all result to actions having a reaction. Regardless of whether you commit a crime on your own free will or it was pre-

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determined that you would commit crime there are consequences to the action. I feel with the determinism theory people who commit crime or do bad things in life blame it on outside factors. I feel we all have a set of cards we were dealt but we also have the ability to rise above our past negative experiences and turn them into positive if we want to.

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DEFENSE PAPER References

Bandura, A. Ross, & Ross, S.A (1961). Transmission of aggression through the imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582 Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment. Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Loss. New York: Basic Books. Chorney, M. J., Chorney, K. & Seese, N. (1998). A quantitative trait locus associated with cognitive ability in children. Psychological Science, 9(3), 159-166. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory. London: Constable. Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal Behavior. Acton, MA: Copley Publishing Group.

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