TY - JOUR

T1 - Automatic or controlled: How does disbelief in free will influence cognitive functioning?

AU - Katzir, Maayan

AU - Genschow, Oliver

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Psychological Society.

PY - 2022/11/1

Y1 - 2022/11/1

N2 - Most people believe in free will. Past research has indicated that reducing this belief has numerous downstream consequences including everyday outcomes as well as neural and cognitive correlates associated with a reduction of self-control. However, the exact mechanisms through which a reduction in free will belief affects self-control are still a matter of investigation. In the present registered report, we used a task switching paradigm to examine whether reducing belief in free will makes people less controlled or whether it enhances their reliance on automatic impulses. Using Bayesian sequential analysis, we failed to conceptually replicate the previous link between free will belief and cognitive control. Our registered report plan mostly accumulated substantial evidence supporting the null hypothesis. That is, diminished belief in free will does neither impact control nor automaticity. Theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.

AB - Most people believe in free will. Past research has indicated that reducing this belief has numerous downstream consequences including everyday outcomes as well as neural and cognitive correlates associated with a reduction of self-control. However, the exact mechanisms through which a reduction in free will belief affects self-control are still a matter of investigation. In the present registered report, we used a task switching paradigm to examine whether reducing belief in free will makes people less controlled or whether it enhances their reliance on automatic impulses. Using Bayesian sequential analysis, we failed to conceptually replicate the previous link between free will belief and cognitive control. Our registered report plan mostly accumulated substantial evidence supporting the null hypothesis. That is, diminished belief in free will does neither impact control nor automaticity. Theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.

KW - automaticity

KW - cognitive control

KW - free will belief

KW - self-control

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131861684&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/47bd8413-973b-308f-ab50-5c1f6e164fc6/

U2 - 10.1111/bjop.12578

DO - 10.1111/bjop.12578

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 35706418

AN - SCOPUS:85131861684

VL - 113

SP - 1121

EP - 1142

JO - British Journal of Psychology

JF - British Journal of Psychology

SN - 0007-1269

IS - 4

ER -