What is meant by ‘determinism’ and what are the different types I need to know for the AQA paper 3 exam?

Determinism refers to the understanding that all human behaviour is controlled and has an identifiable cause. It is the opposite to ‘free will’ which refers to individuals having active control over their own thoughts, behaviour and choices. The types of determinism mentioned in the specification are: Hard determinism, Soft determinism, Biological determinism, Environmental determinism and Psychic determinism Hard determinism rejects free will and assumes all behaviour and thoughts are determined by internal or external influences which we have no control over. Soft determinism acknowledges free will and believes that although all behaviour has a cause, individuals have some conscious control over their thoughts and behaviours if they choose to exercise this. Biological determinism refers to behaviour being controlled by aspects of biology such genetics, brain physiology and biochemistry. One example of this is the autonomic nervous system which is not under our control and can cause a stress and anxiety. Another example of this is the idea that some mental health disorders such as depression ‘runs in families’ and have a genetic basis. Environmental determinism refers to behaviour that is controlled by external influences such as parents or society. One example of this comes social psychologist, BF Skinner described who proposed that all behaviour was the result of conditioning and reinforcement. Psychic determinism refers to behaviour that is controlled by unconscious fears and desires. For example, experiencing a traumatic event in the past implies psychic determinism. It is advocated by Freud who argued that every action has a cause rooted in the unconscious mind. Based on the AQA specification, questions you could receive on determinism are: Outline the free will and determinism debate in psychology, explain what is meant by soft determinism using an example, explain the concept of biological determinism and discuss the free will and determinism debate referring to two topics you have studied.