Karol Kubrak Do reflectiveness and religiosity matter when you don’t believe in free will? An analysis of the impact of a deterministic worldview on prosocial behavior

Abstrakt

The existence of free will and the psychological consequences of believing in it remain controversial topics studied by researchers from various disciplines. Previous research on deterministic beliefs has provided ambiguous conclusions. This exploratory study aimed to examine the impact of beliefs about free will on prosocial behaviors, as well as the moderating role of religiosity and reflectiveness. In an experiment, 240 participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, a group exposed to statements presenting a deterministic view of the world, and a group reading content reinforcing belief in free will. After the experimental manipulation, participants completed questionnaires measuring generosity, religiosity, and reflectiveness. The results showed that strengthening belief in free will was associated with generosity among religious individuals. However, the lack of significant differences between the other groups suggests that weakening belief in free will does not negatively affect prosocial behavior, regardless of the level of religiosity or reflectiveness. The findings challenge previous hypotheses about the negative consequences of deterministic beliefs and highlight the need for further research considering potential mediating variables.