How do beliefs in free will and determinism correlate with beliefs in conspiracy, paranormal, and pseudoscience beliefs?

Sinan Alper, Kivanc Konukoglu, Eylul Deran Atalay, Aysenur Duzgun, Onurcan Yilmaz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In this study, we tested the relationship between personal agency beliefs, represented by free will, scientific and fatalistic determinism and unpredictability, and epistemically suspect beliefs (ESBs), including conspiracy, paranormal, and pseudoscience beliefs, across two different cultures (Türkiye and the UK). In two preregistered studies (NStudy 1 = 682, NStudy 2 = 532), we proposed and found correlational evidence for the idea that although seemingly contradictory, both forms of determinism—scientific and fatalistic—might lead individuals to feel a reduced control over their actions, prompting them towards simpler explanations offered by ESBs, thereby compensating for a diminished sense of agency. The relationship between free will, unpredictability, and ESBs varied by culture, likely influenced by the cultural interpretation of those beliefs. Our results underscore the link between personal agency and ESBs, suggesting that ESBs may act as a safeguard against eroding personal agency.
Original languageEnglish
Article number112765
Number of pages10
JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Volume229
Early online date19 Jun 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

© 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Funder

The current study is based on the data of an ongoing longitudinal project funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (T\u00DCB\u0130TAK; project number: 221\u202FK046; project title: \u201CThe Temporal Changes in Epistemically Suspect (Conspiracy, Paranormal and Pseudoscience) Beliefs: Longitudinal Analysis of the Predictors and the Moderators\u201D).

Keywords

  • Conspiracy
  • Paranormal
  • Pseudoscience
  • Free will
  • Determinism
  • Unpredictability

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