Instead, we begin by recognizing that the belief in free will is an important aspect of human social life. We are much less interested in the quest for the extreme case of total freedom
(i.e., behavior independent of all external causes and prior events) than in differences along the continuum. People experience some of their actions as freer than others, and they make similar distinctions while perceiving the actions of others. For instance, behavior performed reluctantly at gunpoint is less free than behavior selected on a whim or following one’s
own carefully made plan. Likewise, crimes of passion caused by unexpected and strong impulses are seen as less free than premeditated crimes (Ancel, 1958). Such distinctions are important to systems of law and interpersonal relationships. Our interest is this: What is the difference in inner process that yields those differences between relatively unfree and relatively freer acts?