Smart-Bands: The End of Procrastination?
A new consumer neuro-technology, the FocusFlow headband, uses real-time EEG monitoring to detect when a user's focus drifts. The device instantly delivers sub-sensory electrical micro-stimulations to the prefrontal cortex to 'correct' brainwave activity back to a concentrated state automatically. Proponents claim this technology effectively eliminates procrastination. Critics, however, argue that bypassing active, conscious cognitive effort to concentrate undermines personal agency and the self-regulation of attention.
Using Item A, outline what is meant by the free will/determinism debate and explain how it may apply to this technology.
276 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Debates, covering Nature/nurture, Freewill/determinism, Reductionism/holism, Individual/situational explanations, Usefulness of research, Ethical considerations, Conducting socially sensitive research, and Psychology as a science. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.