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Free will belief predicts everyday punitiveness across 44 countries
Aaron Walton1, Kelly Kirkland2, Brock Bastian1
1Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract:
Belief in free will has been linked to more punitive and retributive responses to wrongdoing. While past research has focused on North American samples and criminal contexts, this study tested whether free will belief predicts punitiveness across diverse cultural contexts and focuses on more everyday moral transgressions. We surveyed 8917 participants from 44 countries using a validated measure of free will belief and a vignette-based measure of punitiveness. Multilevel analysis revealed that individuals with stronger free will beliefs were more punitive towards everyday moral transgressions. These findings suggest that free will belief is a cross-culturally robust predictor of punitiveness towards everyday moral transgressions. Implications are discussed for the potential benefits of mitigating free will belief in specific contexts.
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