超常現象に対する肯定的信念の形成に関する研究 (2) : 社会・心理的要因の影響を中心に

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine effects of dominant social-psychological factors on paranormal belief. I focused three explanatory variables : attitude toward science, mass media use and interpersonal communication about paranormal phenomena. Four hundred and eighty-two undergraduates (225 women and 257 men) completed the paranormal belief scale, the attitude toward science scale, questions about their mass media use, and questions about their interpersonal communication about paranormal phenomena. By factor analysis, paranormal belief was classified into four groups : supernatural power, ghost and reincarnation, superstition, and existences of undefined creatures and cultures. As a result of multiple regression analysis, paranormal belief were positively associated with the acceptance of those phenomena in interpersonal communication. Belief about supernatural power and belief about ghost and reincarnation were also associated with a factor in attitude toward science, spirituality. Women and men were very different from each other in dominant factors on belief in superstition and belief in existences of undefined creatures and cultures.