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Free will and paranormal beliefs
1Sony Computer Science Laboratories Tokyo, Japan.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 26, 2014
Summary
Belief in free will correlates positively with paranormal beliefs, suggesting free will may be a cognitive illusion. This study found links between believing in free will and paranormal phenomena like astrology and UFOs.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology of Beliefs
Background:
- Free will is a core aspect of human cognition.
- Neuroscience research suggests free will might be an illusion constructed by neural mechanisms.
- Cognitive biases and failures are common in humans, potentially including the sense of free will.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between belief in free will and paranormal beliefs.
- To explore potential shared cognitive underpinnings between the belief in free will and paranormal phenomena.
Main Methods:
- A web-based questionnaire study was conducted with 2076 participants.
- Participants' belief in free will (theory and practice) and paranormal beliefs were assessed.
- Correlation analyses were performed to examine relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between belief in free will and paranormal beliefs (including UFOs, reincarnation, astrology, and psi).
- No significant correlation was observed between belief in free will and knowledge of paranormal phenomena.
- Females reported higher paranormal belief scores than males, with a weaker, but significant, corresponding difference in free will belief.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the view that free will may be an illusion.
- The belief in free will appears to share common cognitive elements with paranormal beliefs.
- Further research into the cognitive architecture of belief systems is warranted.
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