Lesson 4.3.1.2

4.3.1.2 Free will and determinism Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

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Lesson 4.3.1.2, Free will and determinism: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 3: Issues and options in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is hard determinism?

    • The view that people always choose their behaviour freely, without any constraints
    • The view that behaviour is determined only by a person's conscious thoughts
    • The view that all behaviour is fully determined by factors outside a person's control, so free will is an illusion
    • The view that behaviour is random and cannot be predicted at all

  2. What is soft determinism?

    • The view that free will is unlimited and not affected by any cause
    • The view that free will exists but operates within constraints set by biological, environmental or psychic factors
    • The view that behaviour is caused only by conscious choice
    • The view that all behaviour is random and cannot be explained

  3. What is biological determinism?

    • The view that behaviour depends on the number of people present
    • The view that behaviour is caused by genes, hormones or brain structure
    • The view that behaviour is caused by unconscious motives
    • The view that behaviour is shaped only by learning and reinforcement

  4. What is environmental determinism?

    • The view that behaviour is shaped by external conditions and learning
    • The view that behaviour is caused by inherited genes
    • The view that behaviour is entirely a matter of personal choice
    • The view that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts

  5. What is psychic determinism?

    • The view that behaviour is caused by unconscious mental processes, as proposed in Freud's theory
    • The view that behaviour is caused by the social group a person belongs to
    • The view that behaviour is caused by reinforcement schedules
    • The view that behaviour is caused by hormone levels in the blood

  6. What does the scientific emphasis on causal explanation imply about psychology?

    • Psychologists describe behaviour without ever trying to explain it
    • Psychologists seek to identify factors that cause behaviour so that it can be explained and predicted
    • Psychologists assume behaviour is random and cannot be studied
    • Psychologists reject the use of experiments altogether

  7. Which determinism best describes Skinner's view that behaviour is shaped by reinforcement?

    • Psychic determinism
    • Libertarian free will
    • Biological determinism
    • Environmental determinism

  8. A person says they had no choice about their behaviour because their genes made them act that way. Which position does this reflect?

    • Soft determinism
    • Free will with no constraints
    • Psychic determinism
    • Hard biological determinism

  9. A psychologist argues that people can choose how to respond to stress, but their choices are limited by their upbringing. Which position is this?

    • Soft determinism
    • Biological reductionism
    • Psychic determinism
    • Hard determinism

  10. A psychoanalyst claims that a slip of the tongue reveals an unconscious wish. Which type of determinism is being used?

    • Psychic determinism
    • Soft determinism
    • Environmental determinism
    • Biological determinism

  11. A child's aggression is explained as the result of watching violent adults at home. Which type of determinism does this reflect?

    • Environmental determinism
    • Hard free will
    • Biological determinism
    • Psychic determinism

  12. Which statement is an example of biological determinism?

    • Hormone levels are said to determine a person's level of aggression
    • People choose reward-seeking behaviours freely in every situation
    • Unconscious conflict controls every decision a person makes
    • Attitudes are learned only through observing other people

  13. Why does a hard determinist reject the idea of moral responsibility?

    • Because hard determinists believe behaviour is random
    • Because hard determinists believe free will is always fully available
    • Because hard determinists believe genes do not exist
    • Because if all behaviour is caused, individuals cannot have freely chosen their actions

  14. Which is a limitation of hard determinism for psychology?

    • It may discourage the idea that people can change their behaviour through their own choices
    • It cannot be tested using any scientific method
    • It requires psychologists to use only qualitative methods
    • It claims that behaviour has no causes at all

  15. Which example best illustrates the scientific emphasis on causal explanation?

    • Stating that everyone's reaction time is unique and cannot be compared
    • Identifying that sleep deprivation causes slower reaction times in a controlled experiment
    • Recording a participant's favourite colour before an experiment
    • Describing a person's sleep habits without measuring any outcome

  16. Which strength of soft determinism is most often identified?

    • It excludes all biological factors from explanations of behaviour
    • It accommodates both the scientific search for causes and the experience of making choices
    • It makes behaviour impossible to predict in any situation
    • It proves that free will is entirely an illusion

  17. A criticism of environmental determinism is that it does what?

    • Requires participants to choose their own experimental conditions
    • Underestimates the role of biological and cognitive factors in behaviour
    • Says behaviour is caused only by unconscious thoughts
    • Cannot explain any behaviour that is learned from the environment

  18. Why is determinism relevant to debates about responsibility in the law and in psychology?

    • Determinism shows that all crimes are random events
    • Determinism removes the need for any ethical guidelines in research
    • If behaviour is caused by factors beyond control, the basis for holding a person fully responsible is questioned
    • Determinism proves that treatment is never effective

  19. A study finds that a gene variant is linked to impulsivity, but impulsivity also depends on upbringing. Which position is most supported?

    • Free will with no constraints, since the study shows choice is involved
    • Psychic determinism, since upbringing acts only through the unconscious
    • Hard determinism, since genes fully cause impulsivity
    • An interactionist position, in which biology and environment both contribute to behaviour

  20. Which argument best explains why psychic determinism is difficult to test scientifically?

    • Unconscious causes are hard to observe and measure directly, so predictions are difficult to falsify
    • Unconscious thoughts are always measured with brain scans
    • Psychic determinism is always measured through reaction times
    • Psychic determinism only applies to animal behaviour

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