Psychological Determinism

BY calli

psychological determinism

Definition:

The theory that all aspects of a person's psychological makeup arise from specific causes or forces, as previous experiences or instinctual drives, which may be conscious or unconscious.

The theory

IMPLICATIONS

Psycological determinism is based off the ideas that decisions are made based on past expiriences that a person has been through. The theory suggests that actions in the future can be predicted by past expiriences and that people that have been through similar experiences, can often tend to do similar things.

Skinner's concept of psyclolical determinism was one which disagreed with internal causes of behavior. Skinner argued that all behavior was determined by patterns of punishment and reinforcement throughout one's life.

How are genetics involved?

How can randomness factor in?

Questions raised

Does this make everyone predictable?

Are personality traits based only on expieriences?

However, psychological determinism raises many questions.

How can religion factor in?

Accountability and ethics?

Human instincts? Other animals?