OCR Psychology A Level Book 2 sample

Essay question Discuss the free will/determinism debate in relation to explanations of mental illness. [10] The free will/determinism debate is about whether we have control over our own behaviours, such as mental illness, or whether they are predetermined by factors beyond our control such as biology, the unconscious or the environment we are in. The medical model largely suggests that mental illness is biologically determined—that biological factors such as genes or brain abnormalities predetermine our behaviour. For example, Gottesman et al . demonstrated that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are significantly more likely to occur in offspring with two parents diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to those with one or no parents with the disorder. This suggests that serious mental illness is genetic, and therefore is predetermined, as it appears to be passed down through families, therefore illustrating biological determinism. However, despite the significant increase in risk for those offspring with two parents with a disorder, there was still a large number of participants whose parents both had a disorder and the offspring did not develop it (72.7%). This suggests that mental illness is not entirely predetermined by genetic factors. Another explanation of mental illness that is determinist is the behaviourist explanation. Classical conditioning suggests that patients do not have any form of free will over their mental illness, instead it is determined for them by associations of an emotional stimulus with a neutral stimulus, for example in the case of Little Albert. He was conditioned to develop a phobia of a rat by repeated associations with an unconditioned stimulus of a loud noise. This demonstrates environmental determinism because factors in the environment led to his phobia. Humanistic explanations do include notions of free will, because the theory is based on the concepts of taking responsibility for one’s own development, which Rogers refers to as self- determination. Rogers proposed that taking responsibility for oneself is the route to healthy self-development. This explanation for mental illness suggests that when an individual does not have self-determination then personal growth is not possible, resulting in mental illness. This therefore supports the free will side of the debate. This demonstrates that explanations of behaviour support both free will and determinism, suggesting that soft determinism is more likely to be the valid explanation. Soft determinism says that various biological or environmental factors may make behaviour more likely, but ultimately we choose to fulfil those predispositions or not. (About 380 words) An introduction like this will demonstrate your knowledge of the area and shows logical structure. In paragraph two counterarguments are used. This is a sophisticated evaluative skill. Try to add on the end of each point either a counterargument or further evidence to consolidate your point. It is also very important to explain exactly how research evidence supports your point. In paragraph two the explanation of why Gottesman’s study supports the point is very clear. In paragraph three, including some specific details such as referring to the rat and loud noise in Watson and Rayner’s study helps demonstrate depth of knowledge. The final paragraph fails to make sufficient explicit references to mental illness. It is important that you do this throughout your answer. What the mark scheme says… AO2 (5 marks) In order to demonstrate application of knowledge and understanding in a theoretical context, candidates are likely to outline the two sides of the free will/determinism debate and relate them to the different explanations. Less detailed explanations or those simply identifying the free will/determinism debate with a link to the assumptions of the area with a weak link to mental illness are likely to gain middle band marks as full application of knowledge is not presented. AO3 (5 marks) Candidates can show analytical and evaluative skills by considering the impact of the different explanations being considered free will or determinist. Another way the free will/determinism debate could be discussed could be to consider explanations that do or do not take each side of the debate. To achieve top level (9–10 marks) … (See page 278 for full mark scheme.) • There is a good discussion of the free will/determinism debate in relation to the explanations of mental illness. • There is a well-developed line of reasoning which is clear and logically structured. The information presented is relevant and substantiated. This answer is at the very top of band 2 and would score 8 out of 10. An alternative way to answer this question is to consider the relative merits or drawbacks of either side of the debate. That would be equally as acceptable. In order to improve this answer, more specific reference to mental illness is needed, rather than generic arguments about determinism. For example, the essay would have been better if it had used terms like ‘mental illness’ every time instead of using the term ‘behaviour’ —that would have made the answer more relevant to the question. The mark schemes and teacher comments provided here are the authors’ interpretations of OCR’s specification assessment material. Exam preparation: Questions, answers and comments Chapter 1: Issues in mental health 52