Free will vs fate vs determinism (Quiz)

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Hanan Parvez
MA Psychology
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free will vs fate quiz

Our approach to life is largely governed by our beliefs regarding how the world works. Most people are aware of the free will vs fate dichotomy.

Free will means you’re responsible for your actions and circumstances whereas fate a belief in fate or fatalism means everything that happens to you is predetermined.

Determinism, on the other hand, is the belief that the world works according to some determined rules. As you can see, the concepts of free will, fatalism, and determinism are closely related.

The Free Will and Determinism (FAD) plus scale tests your belief in free will and related philosophical positions.

Let me ask you: Do you believe in free will?

I know. That’s a vague and difficult question to answer.

The major reason why the question of whether or not we have free will is so extensively debated is that it’s tied to other concepts such as determinism and fatalism. So there’s no easy answer without incorporating these related constructs.

This test will give you an idea of the extent to which you believe (or don’t believe) that your life is in your own hands.

This FAD-plus scale is an improvement over the previous, widely used FAD scale. It tests the degree to which you believe in free will and related concepts. This test will tell you to what extent you believe life events are controllable, determinable, and predictable.

free will vs fate vs determinism

Taking the free will vs fate vs determinism test

This test comprises 27 items and you have to choose an answer on a 5-point scale ranging from ‘Strongly disagree’ to ‘Strongly agree’. Your personal information will not be collected and your results will not be shared. The test takes around 5 minutes to complete.

FAD plus questionnaire

1. I believe that the future has already been determined by fate.

2. People’s biological makeup determines their talents and personality.

3. Chance events seem to be the major cause of human history.

4. People have complete control over the decisions they make.

5. No matter how hard you try, you can’t change your destiny.

6. Psychologists and psychiatrists will eventually figure out all human behavior.

7. No one can predict what will happen in this world.

8. People must take full responsibility for any bad choices they make.

9. Fate already has a plan for everyone.

10. Your genes determine your future.

11. Life seems unpredictable—just like throwing dice or flipping a coin.

12. People can overcome any obstacles if they truly want to.

13. Whatever will be, will be—there’s not much you can do about it.

14. Science has shown how your past environment created your current intelligence and personality.

15. People are unpredictable.

16. Criminals are totally responsible for the bad things they do.

17. Whether people like it or not, mysterious forces seem to move their lives.

18. As with other animals, human behavior always follows the laws of nature.

19. Life is hard to predict because it is almost totally random.

20. Luck plays a big role in people’s lives.

21. People have complete free will.

22. Parents’ character will determine the character of their children.

23. People are always at fault for their bad behavior.

24. Childhood environment will determine your success as an adult.

25. What happens to people is a matter of chance.

26. Strength of mind can always overcome the body’s desires.

27. People’s futures cannot be predicted.

Reference:

Paulhus, D. L., & Carey, J. M. (2011). The FAD–Plus: Measuring lay beliefs regarding free will and related constructs. Journal of personality assessment, 93(1), 96-104.