Does Free Will Really Exist? The Motivational Congruence Theory's Perspective

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Philosophy of Mind
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Free will is central to human motivation, but scientific advancements raise concerns about perceived autonomy.
• The existence of free will and its relation to causality remain debated, influenced by dualistic views of mind and body.
• Existing motivation theories like cognitive evaluation and self-determination focus on the need for autonomy but don't resolve the fundamental free will problem.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the longstanding problem of free will and its impact on motivation and performance.
• To resolve issues of mental causation and causal determination inherent in dualistic approaches to motivation.
• To introduce and substantiate Motivational Congruence Theory as a framework for understanding free will's role.

Main Methods:

• Critically analyzing philosophical and psychological literature on free will and motivation.
• Examining the limitations of dualistic frameworks (e.g., intrinsic/extrinsic motivation dichotomy).
• Proposing a cotextualist and dialectical approach within Motivational Congruence Theory.

Main Results:

• Identified limitations in current theories regarding the fundamental question of free will's existence and effect.
• Highlighted how dualistic approaches hinder a comprehensive understanding of motivation.
• Established Motivational Congruence Theory as a novel approach to integrate free will, mental causation, and motivation.

Conclusions:

• Motivational Congruence Theory offers a non-dualistic framework to understand the complex interplay of free will, motivation, and performance.
• The theory provides a resolution to the problems of mental causation and causal determination in the context of motivation.
• This approach advances our understanding of autonomy and its influence beyond the need for it.