The gist of both is that groups of people experimentally exposed to statements in favour of either free will or determinism[1] acted, on average, more ethically after the free will statements than the determinism statements.
Cool. Since a handful of studies suggest a narrow majority believe moral responsibility and determinism to be incompatible this shouldn’t actually be that surprising. I want to know how people act after being exposed to statements in favor of compatibilism.
A couple of articles on the benefits of believing in free will:
Vohs and Schooler, “The Value of Believing in Free Will”
Baumeister et al., “Prosocial Benefits of Feeling Free”
The gist of both is that groups of people experimentally exposed to statements in favour of either free will or determinism[1] acted, on average, more ethically after the free will statements than the determinism statements.
References from a Sci. Am. article.
[1] Cough.
ETA: This is also relevant.
Cool. Since a handful of studies suggest a narrow majority believe moral responsibility and determinism to be incompatible this shouldn’t actually be that surprising. I want to know how people act after being exposed to statements in favor of compatibilism.