The principle of determinism in psychology: the basis of scientific knowledge

Determinism is the doctrine of the mutual certainty and interconnection of all occurring phenomena and processes. The principle of determinism in psychology means, first of all, the need to study all the natural dependencies of mental phenomena on the causes that give rise to them. The mental characteristics of living beings are determined by their usual way of life. But along with its change, their mental activity begins to change.

The dynamics of the mental capabilities of animals completely depend on the basic evolutionary processes. And the development of the human psyche depends on the general progress of society and the relevance of its laws, as well as methods of production, which, according to K. Marx, influence political, social and spiritual life processes.

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What is indeterminism

The principle of determinism assumes that a person cannot choose the direction in life and is not responsible for it. Everything that happens is predetermined in advance; it is impossible to change the course of events.

There is also a theory opposite to determination. In psychology, the concept of indeterminism denies the connection between a cause and subsequent events. It is believed that everything that happens is subject to chance and is probabilistic in nature.

Indeterminism is often associated with free will. The individual is given the opportunity to act, choosing those methods of activity that he considers most effective to achieve the desired result. In simple words, indeterminism denies inevitability and fatality, gives faith in the possibility of being the master of your life, regardless of external influences.

The principle of determinism in psychology

Determinism in psychology became a continuation of the philosophical theory about the interconnection of phenomena. He views cause as a set of circumstances that precede and cause the effect.

According to many scientists, the theory of determinism is equally valid for people and animals. A series of experiments on rats showed a direct relationship between the level of mental development of animals and their adaptive ability. The more active rats survived and gave birth to offspring.

Experiments with British student volunteers also monitored their reactions to changes in the organization of the educational process. According to the results of the experiments, it turned out that the highest scores were received by those students who could quickly react and change their behavior in accordance with the situation. For these “lucky” people, circumstances turned out well in most cases. This confirms the theory that the psyche develops and changes, but behavioral reactions depend on external factors.

Forms

Determination in psychology is the relationship of processes and phenomena, which is characterized by the following forms:

Casualities

Considers causation as a complex of circumstances, factors that preceded a specific event in time and influenced its formation.

System

A form that advocates the perception of the dependence of specific system components on the properties of the system itself.

Type of feedback

The effect affects the cause that caused it.

Statistical

The origin of identical causes of effects that are different within certain limits, depending on statistical patterns.

Target

A goal defines the process aimed at achieving it.

Evolution of the principle

For a long time, psychological determinism relied on mechanical determinism. Mental phenomena were considered as a semblance of the interaction of mechanisms (machines). This view was limited; it considered mental phenomena only as a result of external influence. Based on this vision of determinism, the doctrines of reflex, affect, associations and others arose.

From a different point of view, determinism was considered by I. Sechenov, F. Donders, G. Helmholtz. They believed that mental reactions caused by external influences on the body are not formed according to physical and biological laws, but act as special regulators of behavior.

Modern determinism has adopted much from the philosophical theory of dialectical materialism. The principle of determinism in relation to the human psyche, in accordance with it, sounds like this: “By making changes in the real world, which does not depend on consciousness, a person changes himself.” Simply put, thanks to human activity, external (spiritual, material) products and internal (essential) forces arise.

Brief historical background and features

At the beginning of the 19th century, it was mainly philosophers . Initially, they viewed it as a linear phenomenon. And only D. Mill suggested that it has a more multifactorial nature .

This hypothesis was justified as we delved deeper into the research work. Determination has shown itself to be a phenomenon with:

Thanks to this, the determination of an object can be considered in different planes . This is especially true for psychology. Given the presence of a mass of psychological theories (sometimes contradicting each other), the determination of a personal problem can use any of them as a basis. As a result, the end results will vary .

Psychologists distinguish 2 main components of the human psyche:

It is noteworthy that determining functions are present in each of them. But the processes of determination themselves are different.

Categories of determinism

Determinism in its modern interpretation considers all mental phenomena from the point of view of cause-and-effect relationships. All phenomena, like a chain, follow one another and influence each other. On the basis of this, the categories of the theory of determinism arise.

The reasons for our actions

A person cannot exist outside the environment, outside the context. In the process of its formation, it actively interacts with the environment, society, and culture. He, as a person, influences all this, but the environment also influences him.

Even as an adult, you are constantly changing under the influence of many environmental factors. Moreover, this has been proven even at the physiological level. By reading this article, your brain changes, new neural connections are formed in it. And if your brain changes, then you yourself change and, as a result, your actions and the decisions you make change.

For every change that happens in you, there is a reason.

Photo by Jakayla Toney from Pexels

The latter is important when considering determinism and free will.

Types of determinism

The concept of determinism is used not only in psychology, but also in other branches of science. Depending on the sphere, the following types of determinism are distinguished:

• historical - its basis is the principle of certainty, which considers the possibility of predicting events based on existing prerequisites and the role of specific people, determined by their goals and actions;
• biological - considers behavior as a manifestation of genetic prerequisites;
• technological - the development of human society is predetermined by technical progress;
• materialistic - human living conditions depend on the level of material production.
• theological - all human actions are interpreted as the will of God;
• mutual - human functioning is ensured through the interaction of personal characteristics, behavior and environmental factors.

Psychological determinism considers mental phenomena as the result of the influence of cultural and social factors.

There are other forms of determinism.

Deterministic approach

It recognizes the interrelationship between events occurring in a person’s life and specific causes. The approach based on cause-and-effect relationships is actively used in modern science.

Since the middle of the last century, the use of a deterministic approach has become unstoppable. Scientists began to use it in mathematics, quantum physics, genetics and biology, and information theory. In their works, scientists focused on the important role of the concepts of possibility, probability, uncertainty, and expediency for describing natural and social phenomena.

Application of determinism in practice

Determinism is a basic approach that explains mental phenomena and the principle of functioning of the psyche.

The theory of Lev Semenovich Vygotsky well illustrates the application of the principle of determinism in psychology. She considers the social environment as the main source of human development. In the first years of life, the formation of a child’s personality is influenced not only by the processes of maturation of brain structures and the development of the whole organism, but also by cultural factors that shape behavior and thinking. According to the scientist, the physiological development and formation of a child’s thinking ability occurs in parallel with the influence of cultural and social factors. The source of development for the child is social interaction and dialogue with parents or other adults.

About the complex in simple words

The principle of determinism is also called the principle of conditionality, which, if greatly simplified, can be expressed as follows: every event has its own causes.

Yes, perhaps this is too simple a definition, but before complicating something, talking about its versatility, inconsistency and controversy, you need to understand the essence, but it is simple.

For example, a child put his finger to the fire and got burned. The cause of his burn was fire. Why did he put his finger to the fire? Because mom said not to do it. The reason for my mother’s behavior is clear; she was thinking about the safety of her child.

What is the reason for the child's behavior? Does it exist at all? The principle of determinism states that there is. Everything happens for a reason. Each of our actions, each right or wrong decision, each of our feelings and even each of our desires.

The principle of determinism is used everywhere, from philosophy to quantum mechanics, but it is in psychology that it is one of the most important. Because it is difficult to deny this principle. Imagine the situation. Big smart “uncle psychologists” will see a child who, contrary to his mother’s words, climbed towards the fire. If they deny the principle of determinism, they will say that this action has no reason. Then all of psychology, as a science, can be closed indefinitely.

Determinism vs. Free Will

Because indeterminism is the denial that everything we do has a cause, this is some kind of Brownian motion, chaos, unpredictability and unsystematicness. And nothing can be predicted, just as the reasons for what is happening cannot be understood.

However, the principle of determinism says the opposite - there is always a reason.

Therefore, smart “uncles” and “aunties” psychologists do not fail in the face of a stubborn child who acts illogically, contrary to the mother’s words, and puts his finger on the fire. And the reasons may be simple:

There can be many reasons, but the essence of determinism is that they always exist. Nothing happens just like that, by chance, out of nowhere. Not a single manifestation of our psyche is without cause. Even the very appearance of the psyche has a reason. This approach is called biological determinism, which originates from Darwin and tells us that the human psyche was formed as a function necessary for our species to survive.

All mental phenomena have generating factors, that is, they are not random. For example, why does our brain (and not only ours, but also the brains of dolphins, corvids, and higher primates) have mirror neurons? Because the ability to imitate, the ability to put oneself in the place of another, affects our survival. We can predict the actions of our enemy. We can understand another person's feelings.

Determination of behavior

From the point of view of psychological science, human behavior is largely determined by external influences. It is reflected in reactions, decision-making, and habitual actions in a given situation.

The following may act as an external psychological determinant of a negative orientation:

• manipulation;
• violence;
• compulsion;
• blackmail.

Praise, encouragement, recognition of a person’s merits are also determinants, but with a positive focus.

Family and society influence a person’s mental reality and his behavior. They set boundaries that must be adhered to in order not to become an outcast. In most cases they are necessary and justified.

Intrapersonal determination is manifested in the ability to set goals and achieve them by interacting with society.

Who are called determinists?

• We are talking about people who are adherents of one or another direction of this teaching. They emphasize that a person essentially lacks free choice, since his actions are determined by the causality of phenomena. In other words, any action is dictated by motivation that dominates the psyche, and not by character traits or internal motivations.

Teaching

• But is it really possible to remain inactive today? Hardly. Likewise, determinists simply find in this term a justification for this or that action, pointing out the interconnection of factors that influenced it.

Determinants influencing psychological development

The human psyche develops under the influence of various factors of an objective and subjective nature.

Objective

Objective factors in the development of the human psyche include:

• cultural and economic level of society;
• style of raising a child in the family, school;
• caring for a person;
• satisfying the need for closeness and belonging to a group;
• features of mentality.

Objective determinants also include genetic background, temperament and the presence of diseases.

Subjective

Subjective determinants of personality development are interconnected with objective ones and are the basis for self-development. Subjective factors include the conditions under which a person’s motivation, needs, consciousness and behavior style are formed.

Through the acquisition of knowledge and self-knowledge, the path to new opportunities lies.

Irina Sherbul