Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences: A Meta-Analysis

Oliver Genschow; Emiel Cracco; Jana Schneider; John Protzko; David Wisniewski; Marcel Brass; Jonathan W. Schooler

doi:10.1177/10888683221087527

Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences: A Meta-Analysis

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Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences: A Meta-Analysis. / Genschow, Oliver; Cracco, Emiel; Schneider, Jana et al.
In: Personality and Social Psychology Review, Vol. 27, No. 1, 02.2023, p. 52-82.

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Bibtex

@article{395986d725584ff5b0749832e803ca1c,

title = "Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences: A Meta-Analysis",

abstract = "Ever since some scientists and popular media put forward the idea that free will is an illusion, the question has risen what would happen if people stopped believing in free will. Psychological research has investigated this question by testing the consequences of experimentally weakening people{\textquoteright}s free will beliefs. The results of these investigations have been mixed, with successful experiments and unsuccessful replications. This raises two fundamental questions: Can free will beliefs be manipulated, and do such manipulations have downstream consequences? In a meta-analysis including 145 experiments (95 unpublished), we show that exposing individuals to anti–free will manipulations decreases belief in free will and increases belief in determinism. However, we could not find evidence for downstream consequences. Our findings have important theoretical implications for research on free will beliefs and contribute to the discussion of whether reducing people{\textquoteright}s belief in free will has societal consequences.",

keywords = "belief, cheating, determinism, free will, meta-analysis, morality, punishment, social behavior, Business psychology",

author = "Oliver Genschow and Emiel Cracco and Jana Schneider and John Protzko and David Wisniewski and Marcel Brass and Schooler, {Jonathan W.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1177/10888683221087527",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "52--82",

journal = "Personality and Social Psychology Review",

issn = "1088-8683",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences

T2 - A Meta-Analysis

AU - Genschow, Oliver

AU - Cracco, Emiel

AU - Schneider, Jana

AU - Protzko, John

AU - Wisniewski, David

AU - Brass, Marcel

AU - Schooler, Jonathan W.

PY - 2023/2

Y1 - 2023/2

N2 - Ever since some scientists and popular media put forward the idea that free will is an illusion, the question has risen what would happen if people stopped believing in free will. Psychological research has investigated this question by testing the consequences of experimentally weakening people’s free will beliefs. The results of these investigations have been mixed, with successful experiments and unsuccessful replications. This raises two fundamental questions: Can free will beliefs be manipulated, and do such manipulations have downstream consequences? In a meta-analysis including 145 experiments (95 unpublished), we show that exposing individuals to anti–free will manipulations decreases belief in free will and increases belief in determinism. However, we could not find evidence for downstream consequences. Our findings have important theoretical implications for research on free will beliefs and contribute to the discussion of whether reducing people’s belief in free will has societal consequences.

AB - Ever since some scientists and popular media put forward the idea that free will is an illusion, the question has risen what would happen if people stopped believing in free will. Psychological research has investigated this question by testing the consequences of experimentally weakening people’s free will beliefs. The results of these investigations have been mixed, with successful experiments and unsuccessful replications. This raises two fundamental questions: Can free will beliefs be manipulated, and do such manipulations have downstream consequences? In a meta-analysis including 145 experiments (95 unpublished), we show that exposing individuals to anti–free will manipulations decreases belief in free will and increases belief in determinism. However, we could not find evidence for downstream consequences. Our findings have important theoretical implications for research on free will beliefs and contribute to the discussion of whether reducing people’s belief in free will has societal consequences.

KW - belief

KW - cheating

KW - determinism

KW - free will

KW - meta-analysis

KW - morality

KW - punishment

KW - social behavior

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131726561&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f41b093b-d49e-3539-8fca-12ba4dec1917/

U2 - 10.1177/10888683221087527

DO - 10.1177/10888683221087527

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 35676864

AN - SCOPUS:85131726561

VL - 27

SP - 52

EP - 82

JO - Personality and Social Psychology Review

JF - Personality and Social Psychology Review

SN - 1088-8683

IS - 1

ER -

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1177/10888683221087527
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Manipulating Belief in Free Will and Its Downstream Consequences: A Meta-Analysis

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