The effect of information processing style on beliefs toward paranormal phenomena

Abstract

A survey study was conducted to examine the effect of the information processing styles (rational processing vs. intuitive processing; Epstein, 1994) on the beliefs toward paranormal phenomena. Five-hundred and fifty Japanese citizens who reside in the metropolitan area in Japan were randomly selected and received the questionnaire, and 116 citizens responded. The information processing style was measured with the short version of Rational and Intuitive Information-Processing Style Inventory developed by Naito et al (2004). We also asked the participants to indicate the degree to believe the three kinds of paranormal phenomena; fortune telling (a horoscope and blood type fortune-telling, para-science (UFO and supernatural power, and conventional religion (gods or Buddha and curse. To examine the effect of the information processing style, we first divided the participants into 4 groups (high-rational and high-intuitive, high-rational and low-intuitive, low-rational and high-intuitive, and low-rational and low-intuitive), and submitted the ratings for the degree to believe the three kind of paranormal phenomena for 2 (high-rational vs. low-rational) x 2 (high-intuitive vs. low-intuitive) ANOVAs. The analyses revealed the significant interaction of rational processing and intuitive processing for fortune telling; the participants who were high-rational and low-intuitive believed the fortune telling less than other. Furthermore, a tendency for the main effect for para-science indicated that those who were high-rational believed para-science more than those who were low-rational. For conventional religion, no effect of information processing style was revealed. The discussion argued that these results were to some extent due to the social functions of three kinds of paranormal phenomena.