Undermining Free Will Belief Increases Forgiveness of Self and Others

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.