psychological perspectives
Psychological Perspectives: Essay 2
Psychology is a study which involves scientifically monitoring behaviour and mental processes in an attempt to understand and resolve them. In this second assignment I aim to discuss and evaluate the competing ideas of free will and determinism, whilst also assessing both biological and environmental reductionism as ways of explaining human behaviour.
Firstly free will is fundamental to the understanding of most common sense theories of psychology. It is the ability to make a choice between certain behaviours, implying that behaviour is partly random and does not have a cause, therefore it cannot be predicted. Free will assumes that we have the power to choose our behaviour, for example we have a free choice over our decision to commit a crime. Most people will feel that they posses free will as it gives them a sense of personal responsibility. This fits in with society’s view as the legal system is focused around the idea of holding people accountable for their actions. The individual’s behaviour is not seen as being determined by causual influences or external events, such as conditioning, therefore it is seen as an act which is free from external coercion.
(The Student Room, 2013)
One of the main psychological approaches focusing on free will In order to explain human behaviour was humanism. The humanistic approach believes that humans are unique and plan their own actions. Humanism highly criticized other approaches believing that they didn't view the person as whole and could be seen as dehumanizing. Humanism suggested that people make their own choices with free will and a natural basic human motive. This idiographic perspective focuses on how we view ourselves, believing that we behave in a certain way with a desire to achieve self-actualization. Humanistic theories take experiences, choice and freedom into consideration understanding that human beings have an innate desire to develop, grow and change. This
Psychology is a study which involves scientifically monitoring behaviour and mental processes in an attempt to understand and resolve them. In this second assignment I aim to discuss and evaluate the competing ideas of free will and determinism, whilst also assessing both biological and environmental reductionism as ways of explaining human behaviour.
Firstly free will is fundamental to the understanding of most common sense theories of psychology. It is the ability to make a choice between certain behaviours, implying that behaviour is partly random and does not have a cause, therefore it cannot be predicted. Free will assumes that we have the power to choose our behaviour, for example we have a free choice over our decision to commit a crime. Most people will feel that they posses free will as it gives them a sense of personal responsibility. This fits in with society’s view as the legal system is focused around the idea of holding people accountable for their actions. The individual’s behaviour is not seen as being determined by causual influences or external events, such as conditioning, therefore it is seen as an act which is free from external coercion.
(The Student Room, 2013)
One of the main psychological approaches focusing on free will In order to explain human behaviour was humanism. The humanistic approach believes that humans are unique and plan their own actions. Humanism highly criticized other approaches believing that they didn't view the person as whole and could be seen as dehumanizing. Humanism suggested that people make their own choices with free will and a natural basic human motive. This idiographic perspective focuses on how we view ourselves, believing that we behave in a certain way with a desire to achieve self-actualization. Humanistic theories take experiences, choice and freedom into consideration understanding that human beings have an innate desire to develop, grow and change. This