ReviewFrontiers in psychology2026
Agency, justice, and morality: exploring the intersection of belief in free will, the just world hypothesis, and health behavior.
Review in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Abstract
This mini-review synthesizes empirical and theoretical insights on how belief in free will and the just world hypothesis jointly shape moral judgment and health behavior. It examines whether changes in these agency-related beliefs systematically affect prosociality, responsibility attribution, blame, and compassion, both independently and interactively. Experimental findings indicate that diminishing belief in free will increases dishonesty and reduces empathy, while stronger just world beliefs are linked to victim-blaming, harsher moral judgment, and rationalization of inequality. The review also considers how these beliefs extend to health, where strong agency convictions can promote motivation, self-regulation, and healthier lifestyles, yet simultaneously heighten stigma toward individuals facing obesity, mental illness, or other health challenges. Drawing on cross-cultural and health psychology frameworks, the paper argues that culturally sensitive interventions are needed to harness the motivational benefits of agency while reducing blame, stigma, and exclusion in health and moral policy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.