Increasing evidence supports the importance of beliefs in predicting positive outcomes in life. This study examines the performance implications of the belief in free will as an abstract, philosophical belief that views the self as free from internal and external constraints and capable of choosing and directing one's own path. In Study 1 (N = 116, undergraduates), belief in free will was associated with higher performance on an academic proofreading task. In Study 2 (N = 614, undergraduates), we examined performance in real academic settings, and the belief in free will measured at the beginning of the semester predicted better course and semester grades at the end of the semester. Importantly, we found support for the distinctive contribution of the belief in free will in comparison to well-established predictors of academic performance -trait selfcontrol and implicit theories. We conclude that individual differences in the endorsement of the belief in free will are a significant and unique predictor of academic achievement.Keywords: academic performance; belief in free will; beliefs; task performance The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of research that recognized the importance of beliefs as predictors of academic achievement (Hong, Chiu, Dweck, Lin, & Wan, 1999;Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Beliefs have been identified as essential components of selfconcept as they affect sense-making and shape the meaning given to all aspects of life, and therefore play a crucial role in guiding behavior (Dweck, 2008). People differ in their beliefs, and these differences hold the potential for predicting differences in behavior and outcomes (Dweck, 2014). This is especially true for undergraduates attending college because students often face difficult challenges and important choices under intense pressure to perform.Academic performance is dependent on the ability to change, adapt, make difficult decisions, and learn from mistakes, yet these are rooted in associated beliefs that change is controlled and choice is free.A promising direction in social psychology and experimental philosophy explores agency-related philosophical beliefs and focuses on views regarding free will and determinism.People differ in their beliefs regarding the human capacity for choice; some view their behaviors and lives as a consequence of their own agentic free choice, whereas others believe that they are deterministically guided by internal factors that are beyond their control, such as their upbringing, personality, or genetics, or by externals factors such as God, nature, science, or fate (Baumeister, 2008). This abstract philosophical belief in free will encompasses a broad view of the person as an active agent who is capable of choosing one's own path, planning for long-term
