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At freedom's edge: Belief in free will during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors :
Seto, Elizabeth
Source :
PLoS ONE. 6/20/2024, Vol. 19 Issue 6, p1-9. 9p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Among life-and-death health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic were frustrations about the loss of personal freedom due to emergency quarantine. To test these perceptions, two studies examined whether belief in free will was resilient during different points of the pandemic. In Study 1, conducted in 2020, participants completed a writing task describing their lives before the COVID-19 pandemic, during the COVID-19 pandemic while under emergency quarantine, and during the COVID-19 pandemic while under state re-openings. Following each task, they completed belief in free will measures. Results indicated that free will beliefs were higher before the pandemic than during emergency quarantine. Free will beliefs were also greater during state re-opening than during emergency quarantine. Belief in free will did not differ between pre-pandemic and state re-opening. Study 2 replicated and extended these effects two years later. These findings highlight the brief loss of freedom during COVID-19 as well as the resiliency of agentic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19326203
Volume :
19
Issue :
6
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
PLoS ONE
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
178005470
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303291