![]() ![]() ![]() Defining Functional Freedom and Its Scopeįunctional freedom is the central variable of the model, and a quantitative parameter pertaining to a decision episode. In the course of this paper, we will derive and develop these dimensions and their indicators, as well as discuss the adaptive benefits of free decisions and the resulting implications for further research.Ģ. ![]() By defining the concept of functional decision freedom as dependent on three decision-related dimensions, we are able to describe how and why decisions can be assessed as more free or unfree. ![]() We generally echo the view that psychological freedom is rooted in capacity, especially capacities that revolve around decision-making and choice. The model is based on psychological theories on decision freedom, as well as philosophical literature on how to conceive a naturalistic free will. Our aim is to propose a model that helps to assess the degree of freedom within a concrete decision episode as a parameter. We strive to contribute to psychology’s newfound engagement with freedom by outlining such an account. So far, there is no account that explicates all these ideas about capacities or integrates them with decision mechanisms and conditions into a holistic model of decision freedom. The gist of all these intriguing approaches is that psychology does not need to engage in the metaphysical debate about free will, but should go ahead with own naturalistic, operationalizable notions of freedom as a capacity in decision-making and action generation. Moreover, recent research has demonstrated that folk psychological notions of free will do not seem to revolve around metaphysical assumptions (e.g., a soul or the absence of causal determination), but instead are rooted in beliefs about choice capacities. The newly emerging field of neurovolition has begun to view voluntary, volitional actions as distinctive phenomena and to conceptualize the brain mechanisms behind self-generated action. In social psychology, it was argued that autonomous and free action regulation is of high value to research on well-being and motivation that free and less-free actions can be operationalized in terms of capacities such as self-control and that variations in just the belief in free will already yield impacts on moral behavior. More recent work connected the concept of free will with various research areas in psychology. The theory of reactance explains motivational reactions to threats of behavioral freedoms, and is only one example of how psychological research can put the concept of freedom to good use. Instead of participating in this debate, we presume that psychology can develop its own models of decision freedom, without metaphysical ballast, for the purpose of a productive engagement with the topic of human freedom. Elaborate arguments have been put forward in favor of, as well as against, its compatibility with a deterministic world. In conclusion, we show that functional freedom is a scientific variable, permitting an additional psychological foothold in research on freedom, and that is compatible with a deterministic worldview.įor a long time, the reality of free will has been debated within philosophy. We outline possible research questions, argue for psychological benefits of functional decision freedom, and explicate the model’s implications on current knowledge and research. Functional freedom depends on three compensatory dimensions: it is greatest when the decision-maker is highly rational, when the structure of the decision is highly underdetermined, and when the decision process is strongly based on conscious thought and reflection. It denotes an inner capability to consciously shape complex decisions according to one’s own values and needs. The model conceptualizes functional freedom as a capacity of people that varies depending on certain conditions of a decision episode. We present a model of functional decision freedom that aims to fill that role. The freedom of a decision is not yet sufficiently described as a psychological variable. ![]()
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