Free Will, Work Motivation and Optimism

This study investigated the relationship between beliefs in free will, work motivation, and optimism in a sample of 54 employed adults. A 45-item questionnaire, which included the Free Will subscale of the FAD-Plus, the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS), and the Optimism and Pessimism Scale (OPS-C), was used to determine whether belief in free will is linked to higher levels of motivation and a more optimistic outlook. The results indicated a moderate, positive correlation between free will beliefs and work motivation (r = 0.2815, p < 0.05), indicating that individuals who perceive themselves as autonomous and in control of their actions tend to be more motivated in their work. However, the relationship between free will beliefs and optimism were weak and non-significant (r = 0.1745, p = 0.206944), suggesting that free will may not directly impact an individuals optimism.