All behaviour is determined, both in the sense of having roots in the individual's history and in the sense of being explicable in terms of personality needs, structures, and situational determinants.
All behaviour is determined, both in the sense of having roots in the individual's history and in the sense of being explicable in terms of personality needs, structures, and situational determinants. (a) True (b) False (c) None (d) All of these ✅ Correct Option: (a) True Explanation: This statement reflects the principle of psychological determinism, which holds that behavior is not random but arises from identifiable causes. These causes include an individual’s past experiences, personality structure, motivational needs, biological factors, and current environmental situations. Most major schools of psychology—psychoanalytic, behaviorist, cognitive, and humanistic—accept determinism in some form. Freud emphasized childhood experiences and unconscious motives; behaviorists focused on learning history; cognitive theorists stressed mental processes; and humanists acknowledged personal meaning and choice but still within psychological laws. Even when individuals believe they are acting freely, psychologists argue that their actions are shaped by internal and external determinants. This idea is central to clinical psychology because treatment depends on identifying causes of maladaptive behavior. Without determinism, assessment, diagnosis, and therapy would be impossible. In PPSC exams, such statements usually test understanding of foundational assumptions of psychology. 10 PPSC-Relevant Facts: 1. Psychological determinism is a core assumption. 2. Freud strongly supported determinism. 3. Behaviorists explain behavior through learning history. 4. Personality needs influence behavior. 5. Situational factors shape responses. 6. No behavior is accidental in psychology. 7. Determinism supports scientific study. 8. Used in diagnosis and therapy. 9. Contrasts with philosophical free will. 10. Frequently tested as True/False MCQs.