Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Stillman, Tyler F.
URN	etd-07082009-192438
Title	Guilty, Free and Wise: Determinism and Psychopathy Diminish Learning From Negative Emotions
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Psychology, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Roy Baumeister Committee Chair Dianne Tice Committee Member Thomas Joiner Committee Member Alfred Mele Outside Committee Member
Keywords	Determinism Free Will Psychopathy Emotion Guilt
Date of Defense	2009-07-07
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Emotional experiences can bring about personal growth. For instance, feeling guilty may prompt one to learn from a mistake, and this learning can bring about different and better future behavior. Four studies (N = 570) found that belief in free will facilitated learning from emotional experiences, as deterministic beliefs were associated with reduced learning. Studies included both correlational (Study 1) and experimental (Studies 2-4) designs. Emotional responsiveness, as defined by low psychopathy scores, also facilitated learning from emotional experiences (Studies 3 and 4). The degree of learning associated with emotional experiences was measured by self-rating (Studies 1 and 2), independent evaluations of lessons learned (Study 3), and whether participants joined a campus recycling program (after being made to feel guilty about an environmental transgression; Study 4).
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