The dark side of free will: How belief in agency fuels anti-gay attitudes

Abstract

This research examines the relationship between free-will beliefs and attitudes toward gay men among heterosexual individuals. Across five studies, we find that endorsement of free will beliefs is associated with less favorable attitudes toward gay men. This effect is explained by the perception that individuals have agency over their sexual orientation—that is, that sexual orientation is controllable. We further examine the robustness of the proposed mechanism via a moderation-as-process approach. Contrary to prior research linking free-will beliefs to prosocial intentions and behaviors, our findings reveal that such beliefs can also foster ingroup favoritism and anti-minority discrimination. Specifically, free-will beliefs are associated with more favorable attitudes toward heterosexual (ingroup) men than gay (outgroup) men, suggesting that these beliefs may contribute simultaneously to outgroup bias and ingroup favoritism. The paper discusses the contributions to the literature on free-will beliefs, sexual orientation discrimination, and ingroup favoritism, and highlights implications for understanding prejudice in light of contemporary sociopolitical dynamics surrounding LGBTQI+ rights.