I research and study consciousness from a neuroscience, psychiatric and spiritual perspective.
Often negative results are a function of free will.
Free will is a function of consciousness development.
Now I see where you are coming from. Consciousness development. I immediately came up with an infant. Does the infant have free will? That goes along with the Bible telling us that there is an age of accountability (when we know right from wrong-we develop or are at the point of reasoning right from wrong).