Objective 11: Identify and describe the variables that produce conformity and obedience
According to Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules, conformity is adjusting our behavior or thinking toward some group standard. I interpreted that as this: conformity is when you change yourself, whether it be just your behavior or your entire personality in order to be accepted. There are very many variables that produce conformity. Some people feel either insecure or unintelligent, being in a group of at least three people, being in a group that everyone else agrees with, etc. Society today has led more and more people to conform to what everyone else deems "acceptable" or "cool". But why? Humans loathe rejection. We as humans are afraid to be punished for our differences. Also, we want human approval. We yearn to be liked by our peers, whether we like them or not. We aren't marching to the beat of our own drums: That wouldn't be the "norm". TO HECK WITH SOCIAL NORMS. Who's to say what's cool and what's not, what's acceptable and what's not? Our world is constantly evolving, so why can't our perceptions evolve, too? I say we all be open-minded and accept everyone for who they truly are. Before I continue on any further, let's talk about obedience. Obedience simply means following orders, and there are also many variables that produce obedience. The person whom is giving the orders is close at hand and is seen as a legitimate authority figure, the victim is depersonalized or at a distance, etc.
According to Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules, conformity is adjusting our behavior or thinking toward some group standard. I interpreted that as this: conformity is when you change yourself, whether it be just your behavior or your entire personality in order to be accepted. There are very many variables that produce conformity. Some people feel either insecure or unintelligent, being in a group of at least three people, being in a group that everyone else agrees with, etc. Society today has led more and more people to conform to what everyone else deems "acceptable" or "cool". But why? Humans loathe rejection. We as humans are afraid to be punished for our differences. Also, we want human approval. We yearn to be liked by our peers, whether we like them or not. We aren't marching to the beat of our own drums: That wouldn't be the "norm". TO HECK WITH SOCIAL NORMS. Who's to say what's cool and what's not, what's acceptable and what's not? Our world is constantly evolving, so why can't our perceptions evolve, too? I say we all be open-minded and accept everyone for who they truly are. Before I continue on any further, let's talk about obedience. Obedience simply means following orders, and there are also many variables that produce obedience. The person whom is giving the orders is close at hand and is seen as a legitimate authority figure, the victim is depersonalized or at a distance, etc.
Animals are a great example of obedience. They look to us as the authority figure, and they comply. I thought this picture was cute, because it looks like the cat is giving them orders. Plus, I LOVE CATS. I ALSO LOVE DOGS.
Objective 12: Discuss the factors that promote bystander apathy and deindividuation and how an examination of moral development helps us understand individuals' responses to these factors
As we all know, before making an important decision, we must go though a decision making process for bystander intervention. There are three factors and or steps to bystander apathy. First, we notice the incident that occurred. Second, we interpret the incident as an emergency. Finally, we assume responsibility for helping. All three things must be done in order for a person to come help. Unfortunately, people are deterred by the bystander effect, which is the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present. Thousands of situations have been observed in order to find what the best odds of being helped were. This included things such as the person appears to need and deserve help, the person is in some way similar to us, the person is a woman, we aren't in a hurry, we are feeling guilty, we are in a good mood, etc. Now on to deindividuation, which is the process of losing self-awareness and self-restraint. This often occurs when group participation makes people both aroused and anonymous. It has been examined that being in the presence of others can motivate people to temp themselves to free-ride the efforts of others, "going with the crowd", so to say. There are three factors that promote deindividuation. Anonymity (I will not get caught), diffused responsibility (I am not responsible for my actions), and group size (this is formed from the two other factors). Plus, people in groups tend to do whatever the entire group is doing. The presence of other people can make people forget about their morals, or their rights and wrongs. "If everyone else is doing it, it must be okay."
As you can see in the picture above, the three peeps are only watching as the poor fourth peep is being crushed by a tire. This is an example of bystander apathy, and the three peeps are suffering from the bystander effect. None of them are coming to the aid of the fourth peep, which is very depressing, yet cute and innocent at the same time.
As we all know, before making an important decision, we must go though a decision making process for bystander intervention. There are three factors and or steps to bystander apathy. First, we notice the incident that occurred. Second, we interpret the incident as an emergency. Finally, we assume responsibility for helping. All three things must be done in order for a person to come help. Unfortunately, people are deterred by the bystander effect, which is the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present. Thousands of situations have been observed in order to find what the best odds of being helped were. This included things such as the person appears to need and deserve help, the person is in some way similar to us, the person is a woman, we aren't in a hurry, we are feeling guilty, we are in a good mood, etc. Now on to deindividuation, which is the process of losing self-awareness and self-restraint. This often occurs when group participation makes people both aroused and anonymous. It has been examined that being in the presence of others can motivate people to temp themselves to free-ride the efforts of others, "going with the crowd", so to say. There are three factors that promote deindividuation. Anonymity (I will not get caught), diffused responsibility (I am not responsible for my actions), and group size (this is formed from the two other factors). Plus, people in groups tend to do whatever the entire group is doing. The presence of other people can make people forget about their morals, or their rights and wrongs. "If everyone else is doing it, it must be okay."
As you can see in the picture above, the three peeps are only watching as the poor fourth peep is being crushed by a tire. This is an example of bystander apathy, and the three peeps are suffering from the bystander effect. None of them are coming to the aid of the fourth peep, which is very depressing, yet cute and innocent at the same time.
The most recent example of deindividuation came from Veishea at Iowa State University. Most people are probably wondering what caused all of these people to act so strange. These people probably experienced adrenaline during this time, and just went with the chaos that was going around them. Anonymity, diffused responsibility, and group size all contributed to the actions that occurred at Iowa State.
Objective 13: Define learning
According to Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules, learning is defined as the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines learning as the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something. Why do we learn? We learn so that we are able to adapt to our environment. We learn so that we are more prepared to deal with things such as pain. We learn to gain important knowledge and expand our minds. 2,000 years earlier, Aristotle concluded that we learn by association. Our minds can naturally connect events that occur in a sequence. Learned associations tend to happen subtly, and they can also develop our habits. As we repeat certain behaviors in a given context- walking a certain route every day, sleeping on the same side each time, etc. - the behaviors become associated with these contexts. This type of learning is called associate learning- learning that certain events occur together. The other type of learning is called cognitive learning, which is the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language. Through cognitive learning we can acquire mental information that guides our behavior. Observational learning, a type of cognitive learning, lets us learn from the experiences of others. Chimpanzees, for example, sometimes learn behaviors by watching others perform them. If one animal sees another solve a puzzle to get food, the observer may perform the trick in hopes to getting food.
I got both of my artifacts from Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules. My example for observational learning is chimpanzees. They sometimes learn behaviors by watching others perform them, so when they see someone else perform a task in order to obtain food, they will also perform the task. There are many examples of learned associations. This include things such as walking the same route to school every day, sitting in the same desk at school, sleeping on the same side every night, etc.
According to Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules, learning is defined as the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines learning as the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something. Why do we learn? We learn so that we are able to adapt to our environment. We learn so that we are more prepared to deal with things such as pain. We learn to gain important knowledge and expand our minds. 2,000 years earlier, Aristotle concluded that we learn by association. Our minds can naturally connect events that occur in a sequence. Learned associations tend to happen subtly, and they can also develop our habits. As we repeat certain behaviors in a given context- walking a certain route every day, sleeping on the same side each time, etc. - the behaviors become associated with these contexts. This type of learning is called associate learning- learning that certain events occur together. The other type of learning is called cognitive learning, which is the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language. Through cognitive learning we can acquire mental information that guides our behavior. Observational learning, a type of cognitive learning, lets us learn from the experiences of others. Chimpanzees, for example, sometimes learn behaviors by watching others perform them. If one animal sees another solve a puzzle to get food, the observer may perform the trick in hopes to getting food.
I got both of my artifacts from Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules. My example for observational learning is chimpanzees. They sometimes learn behaviors by watching others perform them, so when they see someone else perform a task in order to obtain food, they will also perform the task. There are many examples of learned associations. This include things such as walking the same route to school every day, sitting in the same desk at school, sleeping on the same side every night, etc.
Objective 14: Summarize the components of classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events. The components of classical condition are a neutral stimulus, a conditioned response, an unconditioned response, an unconditioned stimulus, and a conditioned stimulus. A neutral stimulus is a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning. A conditioned response is a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus. A conditioned stimulus is an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditional stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response. An unconditioned response is an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response.
As an example, take this dog. Before conditioning, the food is an unconditioned stimulus because when a dog sees food, it naturally triggers a dog to salivate. The salivation is the unconditioned response because that's how the dog naturally responded to the unconditioned stimulus (the food). The neutral stimulus in this situation is the bell, because there is no response to it. During conditioning, the bell is combined with the food to make the unconditioned stimulus. Again, the dog salivates, making the salivation the unconditioned response. Eventually, after conditioning, the dog will associate the bell with food. Once the bell is rung, it becomes the controlled stimulus because it was originally irrelevant, but now will trigger a response. Even though the food is not shown, the dog will still salivate, making the salivation a conditioned response. This is because the dog learned to associate the food with the bell.
Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events. The components of classical condition are a neutral stimulus, a conditioned response, an unconditioned response, an unconditioned stimulus, and a conditioned stimulus. A neutral stimulus is a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning. A conditioned response is a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus. A conditioned stimulus is an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditional stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response. An unconditioned response is an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus. An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response.
As an example, take this dog. Before conditioning, the food is an unconditioned stimulus because when a dog sees food, it naturally triggers a dog to salivate. The salivation is the unconditioned response because that's how the dog naturally responded to the unconditioned stimulus (the food). The neutral stimulus in this situation is the bell, because there is no response to it. During conditioning, the bell is combined with the food to make the unconditioned stimulus. Again, the dog salivates, making the salivation the unconditioned response. Eventually, after conditioning, the dog will associate the bell with food. Once the bell is rung, it becomes the controlled stimulus because it was originally irrelevant, but now will trigger a response. Even though the food is not shown, the dog will still salivate, making the salivation a conditioned response. This is because the dog learned to associate the food with the bell.
This is another example of classical conditioning, and this can be found in Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules, but in a simpler form. Remember that classical conditioning is a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli to anticipate events. Two separate stimuli, lightning and thunder, are used here. Eventually, one learns to associate lightning with thunder. So when we see lightning, we wince in response because we know thunder will occur next.
Objective 15: Describe stimulus generalization, high order conditioning, discrimination, and extinction in classical conditioning
Stimulus generalization is the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses. High order conditioning is a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. Extinction is the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditional stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus.
An example of generalization is found in my book Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules. Pavlov demonstrated this by attaching mini vibrators to various parts of a dog's body. After conditioning salivation to stimulation of the thigh, he decided to stimulate other areas. The closer a simulated spot was to the dog's thigh, the strong the conditioned response, which was salivating.
An example of extinction can be found in Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules. The idea of extinction began with Pavlov. He wanted to know what would happen if after conditioning, only the conditioned stimulus occurred. What would happen without the unconditioned stimulus? Using the idea of dogs, the tone (the conditioned stimulus) kept ringing again and again, but no food (unconditioned stimulus) would be given. Would the dogs salivate to just the tone? The dogs began to salivate less and less, thus exhibiting extinction.
Stimulus generalization is the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses. High order conditioning is a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. Extinction is the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditional stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus.
An example of generalization is found in my book Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules. Pavlov demonstrated this by attaching mini vibrators to various parts of a dog's body. After conditioning salivation to stimulation of the thigh, he decided to stimulate other areas. The closer a simulated spot was to the dog's thigh, the strong the conditioned response, which was salivating.
An example of extinction can be found in Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules. The idea of extinction began with Pavlov. He wanted to know what would happen if after conditioning, only the conditioned stimulus occurred. What would happen without the unconditioned stimulus? Using the idea of dogs, the tone (the conditioned stimulus) kept ringing again and again, but no food (unconditioned stimulus) would be given. Would the dogs salivate to just the tone? The dogs began to salivate less and less, thus exhibiting extinction.
Objective 16: Describe the application of
the principles of classical conditioning to the therapeutic system (systematic desensitization and aversive counter conditioning)
Because of classical conditioning, we have a much better understanding of people, thus it is a great help when it comes to therapy. Before we can understand the principles of classical conditioning to the therapeutic system, we must know what systematic desensitization and aversive counter conditioning are. Both of these terms fall under a type of therapy known as exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a type of therapy that treats anxieties by exposing people to the things they fear and avoid. Systematic desensitization is a type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. This type of therapy is commonly used to treat phobias. Aversive counter conditioning associates an unpleasant state with an
unwanted behavior. This technique is used to get rid of bad habits, such as drinking alcohol.
Here is an example of aversive counter conditioning used to treat alcohol dependence. To treat this, a therapist offers the client appealing drinks laced with a drug that produces nausea. By linking together alcohol and severe nausea, the therapist hopes to change the person's reaction to alcohol from positive to negative.
Here is an example of systematic desensitization. Imagine that you are afraid of public speaking. First, a therapist will ask you to help construct a hierarchy of anxiety-triggering speaking situations. They could range from talking to your friends to speaking in front of a large audience. Next, the therapist would train you to relax one muscle group after another, until you reach a blissful state of relaxation and comfort. The therapist would ask you to imagine a mildly anxiety-arousing situation, like speaking with friends. If imagining a scenario causes you to feel anxiety, you would raise your finger. The therapist would then let you go back into relaxation. This is repeated until you feel no trace of anxiety. I got this from Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules.
the principles of classical conditioning to the therapeutic system (systematic desensitization and aversive counter conditioning)
Because of classical conditioning, we have a much better understanding of people, thus it is a great help when it comes to therapy. Before we can understand the principles of classical conditioning to the therapeutic system, we must know what systematic desensitization and aversive counter conditioning are. Both of these terms fall under a type of therapy known as exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a type of therapy that treats anxieties by exposing people to the things they fear and avoid. Systematic desensitization is a type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. This type of therapy is commonly used to treat phobias. Aversive counter conditioning associates an unpleasant state with an
unwanted behavior. This technique is used to get rid of bad habits, such as drinking alcohol.
Here is an example of aversive counter conditioning used to treat alcohol dependence. To treat this, a therapist offers the client appealing drinks laced with a drug that produces nausea. By linking together alcohol and severe nausea, the therapist hopes to change the person's reaction to alcohol from positive to negative.
Here is an example of systematic desensitization. Imagine that you are afraid of public speaking. First, a therapist will ask you to help construct a hierarchy of anxiety-triggering speaking situations. They could range from talking to your friends to speaking in front of a large audience. Next, the therapist would train you to relax one muscle group after another, until you reach a blissful state of relaxation and comfort. The therapist would ask you to imagine a mildly anxiety-arousing situation, like speaking with friends. If imagining a scenario causes you to feel anxiety, you would raise your finger. The therapist would then let you go back into relaxation. This is repeated until you feel no trace of anxiety. I got this from Psychology Tenth Edition in Modules.
Objective 17: Summarize the components of instrumental conditioning
Instrumental conditioning, also known as operant conditioning, is a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforce or diminished if followed by a punisher. In instrumental/operant conditioning, organisms associate their own actions with the consequences. We eventually learn to continue the action when rewarded and stop the action when punished. The first component of instrumental conditioning is reinforcement. Reinforcement is any event that strengthens the behavior it follows. The opposite of reinforcement is punishment. Punishment is any event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows. All of this circles around the law of effect that was developed by Edward L. Thorndike. The law of effect says that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
An example of instrumental conditioning is shown in the picture above. The boy is apparently addicted to Star Wars, which in this case, it negative behavior. The girl then uses hitting him with a badminton racket as a reinforcement to stop liking Star Wars.
Instrumental conditioning, also known as operant conditioning, is a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforce or diminished if followed by a punisher. In instrumental/operant conditioning, organisms associate their own actions with the consequences. We eventually learn to continue the action when rewarded and stop the action when punished. The first component of instrumental conditioning is reinforcement. Reinforcement is any event that strengthens the behavior it follows. The opposite of reinforcement is punishment. Punishment is any event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows. All of this circles around the law of effect that was developed by Edward L. Thorndike. The law of effect says that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
An example of instrumental conditioning is shown in the picture above. The boy is apparently addicted to Star Wars, which in this case, it negative behavior. The girl then uses hitting him with a badminton racket as a reinforcement to stop liking Star Wars.
Here is another example of instrumental conditioning. When told to sit, the dog will most likely not do it on its own. When prompted with a positive reinforcement, aka the cookie, the dog will sit. By linking sitting with a cookie, the dog will sit when told.
Objective 18: Identify and describe positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, the different schedules of reinforcement, discriminative stimuli, and shaping
All of these components are a part of operant conditioning. A positive reinforcement strengthens a response by presenting a pleasurable stimulus after the response. A negative reinforcement decreases a response by presenting an unpleasant stimulus after the response. A positive punishment is a way to administer an aversive stimulus while a negative punishment is a way to withdraw a rewarding stimulus. A reinforcement schedule is a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced. There are four kinds of reinforcement schedules. They are fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio, and variable-interval. A fixed-ratio schedule reinforces behavior after a set number of responses. A fixed-interval schedule reinforces the first response after a fixed time period. A variable-ratio schedule gives reinforcement after a random number of behaviors. A variable-interval schedule reinforces the first response after varying time intervals. Discriminative stimuli signal that a response will be reinforced. Shaping is a procedure in which reinforces guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
This example is a chart depicting the different types of reinforcements and punishments. It is also used to show that negative reinforcement is not the same as negative punishment. Negative reinforcement is removing anything BAD. For example, taking aspirin to relieve your headache. Negative punishment is taking away anything GOOD. An example would be taking away your cell phone.
All of these components are a part of operant conditioning. A positive reinforcement strengthens a response by presenting a pleasurable stimulus after the response. A negative reinforcement decreases a response by presenting an unpleasant stimulus after the response. A positive punishment is a way to administer an aversive stimulus while a negative punishment is a way to withdraw a rewarding stimulus. A reinforcement schedule is a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced. There are four kinds of reinforcement schedules. They are fixed-ratio, fixed-interval, variable-ratio, and variable-interval. A fixed-ratio schedule reinforces behavior after a set number of responses. A fixed-interval schedule reinforces the first response after a fixed time period. A variable-ratio schedule gives reinforcement after a random number of behaviors. A variable-interval schedule reinforces the first response after varying time intervals. Discriminative stimuli signal that a response will be reinforced. Shaping is a procedure in which reinforces guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
This example is a chart depicting the different types of reinforcements and punishments. It is also used to show that negative reinforcement is not the same as negative punishment. Negative reinforcement is removing anything BAD. For example, taking aspirin to relieve your headache. Negative punishment is taking away anything GOOD. An example would be taking away your cell phone.
This example is a graph showing the four different schedules of reinforcement. As you can see, the reinforcements with the fixed schedules happen at fixed times, and it doesn't change. With a variable schedule, the reinforcements happen randomly.
Objective 19: Describe the application of the principles of instrumental conditioning to the therapeutic situation (behavior modification). Compare and contrast classical and instrumental conditioning.
Instrumental conditioning is used in therapeutic situations because the whole point of instrumental conditioning is to modify behaviors. Using instrumental conditioning can condition people to keep doing things one way, whether it be right or wrong. Instrumental conditioning can be used to promote good behaviors while at the same time stopping bad behaviors. Although both classical and instrumental conditioning are forms of associative learning, they are not the same thing. They have some things in common: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination. Classical conditioning associates different stimuli we do not control, and we then respond automatically. In operant conditioning, we associate our own behaviors that we can control, and we respond voluntarily. Operant conditioning also involves reinforcements and punishments, while classical conditioning doesn't.
This example is a table that further explains the differences between classical conditioning and operant conditioning. It shows that they are both different, and I explained how they were the same.
https://www.boundless.com/psychology/treating-psychological-disorders/treatment-approaches/operant-conditioning-in-behavioral-therapy/ This website further explains operant/instrumental conditioning. This website also talks describes operant conditioning being used in behavioral therapy.
Instrumental conditioning is used in therapeutic situations because the whole point of instrumental conditioning is to modify behaviors. Using instrumental conditioning can condition people to keep doing things one way, whether it be right or wrong. Instrumental conditioning can be used to promote good behaviors while at the same time stopping bad behaviors. Although both classical and instrumental conditioning are forms of associative learning, they are not the same thing. They have some things in common: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination. Classical conditioning associates different stimuli we do not control, and we then respond automatically. In operant conditioning, we associate our own behaviors that we can control, and we respond voluntarily. Operant conditioning also involves reinforcements and punishments, while classical conditioning doesn't.
This example is a table that further explains the differences between classical conditioning and operant conditioning. It shows that they are both different, and I explained how they were the same.
https://www.boundless.com/psychology/treating-psychological-disorders/treatment-approaches/operant-conditioning-in-behavioral-therapy/ This website further explains operant/instrumental conditioning. This website also talks describes operant conditioning being used in behavioral therapy.
Objective 20: Describe what Skinner means by determinism
Determinism is the philosophy that all human action is caused or determined by preceding events and not by free will. In other words, determinism is the belief that all events are caused by things that happened before them and that people have no real ability to make choices or control what happens. In a religious sense, this is somewhat like predestination, which is the belief that God has already locked in your fate; God has already chosen who is saved and who is not.
Here is an example of determinism illustrated in a cartoon. In this example, Calvin would be considered the determinist, because he thinks that our destinies are already determined. On the other hand, Hobbes would be somebody that believed in free will, which is the belief that you control your fate.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cultural-animal/200902/just-exactly-what-is-determinism-0 is an article from Psychology Today that further describes what determinism is. It also gives an example of determinism and how it can be shown in real life.
Determinism is the philosophy that all human action is caused or determined by preceding events and not by free will. In other words, determinism is the belief that all events are caused by things that happened before them and that people have no real ability to make choices or control what happens. In a religious sense, this is somewhat like predestination, which is the belief that God has already locked in your fate; God has already chosen who is saved and who is not.
Here is an example of determinism illustrated in a cartoon. In this example, Calvin would be considered the determinist, because he thinks that our destinies are already determined. On the other hand, Hobbes would be somebody that believed in free will, which is the belief that you control your fate.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cultural-animal/200902/just-exactly-what-is-determinism-0 is an article from Psychology Today that further describes what determinism is. It also gives an example of determinism and how it can be shown in real life.