Most people believe in free will. Past research has indicated that reducing this belief has numerous downstream consequences including everyday outcomes as well as neural and cognitive correlates associated with a reduction of self-control. However, the exact mechanisms through which a reduction in free will belief affects self-control are still a matter of investigation. In the present registered report, we used a task switching paradigm to examine whether reducing belief in free will makes people less controlled or whether it enhances their reliance on automatic impulses. Using Bayesian sequential analysis, we failed to conceptually replicate the previous link between free will belief and cognitive control. Our registered report plan mostly accumulated substantial evidence supporting the null hypothesis. That is, diminished belief in free will does neither impact control nor automaticity. Theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.

中文翻译：

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自动或受控：不相信自由意志如何影响认知功能？

大多数人相信自由意志。过去的研究表明，减少这种信念会产生许多下游后果，包括日常结果以及与自我控制能力降低相关的神经和认知相关因素。然而，自由意志信念的减少影响自我控制的确切机制仍有待研究。在本注册报告中，我们使用任务切换范式来检验减少对自由意志的信念是否会降低人们的控制力，或者是否会增强他们对自动冲动的依赖。使用贝叶斯顺序分析，我们未能在概念上复制自由意志信念和认知控制之间的先前联系。我们的注册报告计划大多积累了大量支持原假设的证据。那是，对自由意志的信仰减少既不会影响控制，也不会影响自动化。讨论了这一发现的理论意义。