Beliefs in Free Will Versus Determinism

Search for Meaning Mediates the Life Scheme–Depressive Symptom Link

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9057828
AutoresP F Jonah Li (0000-0001-7023-4919, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA, autor de correspondencia), Y Joel Wong (0009-0006-6502-6537, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA)
Año2024
Volumen64
Número5
Páginas940-953
Fecha de publicación2024-09-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Humanistic Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-1678 • E-ISSN: 1552-650X
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0022167820933719
OpenAlexW3035958534
IdiomaDE
Citas recibidas13
Referencias citadas36

A life scheme can be understood as the cognitive representation of individuals’ life events and their goal attainment in the past and future. We conceptualize beliefs in free will and determinism as two life schemes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between beliefs in free will and determinism, search for meaning, and depressive symptoms. While belief in free will uniquely and negatively predicted depressive symptoms, deterministic belief was uniquely and positively associated with depressive symptoms. Moreover, a multiple mediation model revealed that beliefs in free will and determinism were indirectly associated with increased depressive symptoms via their positive relations with search for meaning. These findings are discussed in view of the relationship between inconsistent life schemes and the need to search for meaning, as well as the mediating role of the search for meaning

Cognition · Depressive symptoms · Determinism · Developmental psychology · Epistemology · Free will · Meaning (existential) · Mediation · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Representation (politics) · Social science · Sociology · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Pain Management and Placebo Effect · Psychology · Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments · Social Psychology