Beliefs in paranormal phenomena and locus of control

A field study

Bibliographic Data

ID6204725
AuthorsJames J Mcgarry, Benjamin H Newberry
Year1981
Volume41
Issue4
Pages725-736
Publication date1981-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037//0022-3514.41.4.725
OpenAlexW4251066541
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited14

Beliefs in paranormal phenomena and their relationship to locus of control were investigated for four groups that varied in terms of their involvement with paranormal practices. Subjects completed a questionnaire designed to assess degree of involvement and beliefs in paranormal phenomena, locus of control, sociopolitical attitudes, and demographic characteristics. It was predicted and found that (a) paranormal beliefs increased as involvement increased; (b) internality increased as involvement increased; and (c) involvement and locus of control interacted so that with high and moderate involvement, paranormal beliefs were associated with an internal locus of control, whereas with low involvement, there was a slight tendency for paranormal beliefs to be related to an external locus of control. Analyses of the paranormal beliefs questionnaire and the relationship between paranormal beliefs and sociopolitical attitudes, demographics, and locus of control scores are also reported. Re-evaluation of previous studies of personality dimensions associated with esoteric belief systems that have relied solely on low-involveme nt (student) samples is suggested

Attribution · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Field (mathematics · Locus of control · Paranormal · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology

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