Undermining Free Will Belief Increases Forgiveness of Self and Others

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Previous research suggests undermining free will belief can have detrimental effects, but few studies have examined whether there may also be benefits to tempering a belief in free will. Two experiments examined whether exposure to arguments for determinism would increase forgiveness of self and others. In Study 1, 260 participants wrote about a time they hurt someone, then were exposed to either a free will or determinism condition, where they read material consistent with those positions. Those exposed to arguments in favor of determinism were subsequently more self-forgiving. In Study 2, 262 participants exposed to arguments in favor of determinism were more forgiving and less hateful toward a transgressor after writing about a time they were hurt by someone else. Results indicate that undermining free will belief may encourage forgiveness of self and others, and suggest there may be potential upsides to tempering a belief in free will.