2026-09-18T20:43:58Zhttps://wakespace.lib.wfu.edu/server/oai/request

oai:null:10339/372822026-09-02T16:11:59Zcom_10339_14934col_10339_38132

Kaczkowski, Wojciech 2012-06-12T08:35:58Z 2012 https://wakespace.lib.wfu.edu/handle/10339/37282 Although previous research indicates that belief in free will influences social behavior and mental processes, its effect on cognitive performance has not yet been examined. Thus, the current study investigated the effects of inducing disbelief in free will on performance on cognitive tasks involving self-regulation, response inhibition, mind-wandering, and working memory. Self-efficacy was hypothesized to mediate this relationship. Disbelief in free will was induced among participants by having them read passages from a book supporting the deterministic theory. Next, their performance on the Stroop task, the go/no-go task and the retrieval task was assessed. Free Will and Determinism (FWD) scale was used as a manipulation check, while the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSES) measured self-efficacy. Study findings indicate that participants in the experimental group performed more poorly on the cognitive tasks than control participants. Thus, inducing disbelief in free will resulted in increased mind-wandering without awareness and reduced self-regulation, response inhibition and working memory performance. In contrast, disbelief in free will did not have any effect on self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-efficacy was not significantly related to cognitive performance. In conclusion, belief in free will had a significant influence on cognitive performance, but self-efficacy did not mediate this effect. en Wake Forest University Belief in free will Mind-wandering Response inhibition Self-efficacy Self-regulation The Effects of Inducing Disbelief in Free Will on Subsequent Cognitive Performance Thesis Dagenbach, Dale Blumenthal, Terry Rejeski, Jack Seta, Catherine E Psychology forever 10000-01-01 restricted