Finding causes for the dissociation of subjective and theoretical freedom in decisions

• Applicant: Dr. Stephan Lau
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology ; General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2016 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 290642808

The feeling of freedom in decision-making and volition is an inherent part of human experience. In philosophy, it was often assumed that this experience coincides with theoretical conditions of free will, that is, we only feel free when we are free. However, experimental findings show that the experience of freedom is rather contingent on success and positive consequences than on conditions like rational self-determination, uncertainty and reflection. The aim of the research project is to find the psychological causes of this dissociation between subjective and theoretical freedom. For that purpose we follow three approaches: First, it will be attempted to influence the dissociation via action related expectancies. Theoretically free decisions are often difficult and complex so that an experience of freedom may arise only if an adequate subjective competence is available. Second, we will incorporate the influence of personality traits. Traits that comprise the capacity to endure uncertainty in ambivalent situations will represent the focus of a web-based study with regression approach. Finally, it is planned to experimentally decrease the dissociation through a stronger framing of the positive aspects of theoretical freedom by opening a connection to social reactance. If the merit of self-determination manifests itself more clearly for a decider, when he has to resist an external threat to his control, then his experience of freedom might be increased as well. If these three approaches successfully reduce the dissociation, so that high subjective freedom also involves theoretical conditions of freedom, we would learn more about comprehensively free decision-making. Psychology could utilize and communicate this knowledge. If the approaches show no effect, we have to think about revising theoretical models of decision freedom, probably toward a stronger emphasis on incentives and need satisfaction.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Roy Baumeister