The Influence of Religious Orientation on Belief in Science, Religion, and the Paranormal

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among belief in science and in religion and various paranormal beliefs. Tobacyk and Milford (1983) included religious beliefs in a multidimensional scale of belief in the paranormal, reasoning that religion and the paranormal constitute one end of a bipolar dimension, while belief in science defines the other pole. The present study employed the Tobacyk and Milford scales, the Allport and Ross (1967) Religious Orientation Scale, and newly constructed scales of belief in science and astrology. These scales were administered to a total sample of 260 college undergraduates drawn from both a large church-owned university and from a large state university. It was found that religious orientation influenced reported belief in science, religion, and the paranormal. Traditional religious beliefs were not consistently related to paranormal beliefs. Religion and the paranormal do not seem to define one end of a science/paranormal belief continuum. It is argued that belief in religion, science, and the paranormal are three separate, independent dimensions.