Revised Paranormal Belief Scale Research Articles

Extrasensory Perception Experiences and Childhood Trauma: A Rorschach Investigation.

This study investigated whether people who report recurrent extrasensory perception (ESP) experiences (telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition) have suffered more traumatic experiences and traumatic intrusions. Thirty-one nonclinical participants reporting recurrent ESP experiences were compared with a nonclinical sample of 31 individuals who did not report recurrent ESP phenomena. Past traumatic experiences were assessed via a self-report measure of trauma history (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire); traumatic intrusions were assessed via a performance-based personality measure (Rorschach Traumatic Content Index). Participants also completed the Anomalous Experience Inventory, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, the Dissociative Experience Scale, and the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale. The ESP group reported higher levels of emotional abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, and traumatic intrusions. The association between ESP experiences and trauma was partly mediated by the effects of dissociation and emotional distress. Implications for health professionals are discussed. Results also showed the reliability of the twofold method of assessment of trauma.

Paranormal Believe and Medication Adherence in Patient with Depression.

Introduction Paranormal believes are prevalent in general population, and it may interfere with compliance medication. Aim Level of Paranormal believes and medication adherence in patient with depression. Objective To know the level of paranormal belive, and its relationship with sociodemographic & clinical variables and medication adherence in patient with depression. Method Fifty seven patients with depression in remission were recruited as perselection criteria and assessed with sociodemographic proforma, Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (BPBS) and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). Result Statistically significant correlation was observered for traditional religious belief with marital status (P Conclusion Based on this finding it may be concluded that paranormal belief vary with demographic and clinical variable, while medication adherence may vary with levelof sipirituality and Psi.

Paranormal Beliefs of Latvian College Students: A Latvian Version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale

A Latvian version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS) was completed by 229 Latvian university students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed six relatively independent factors labeled Magical Abilities, Psychokinesis, Traditional Religious Belief, Superstition, Spirit Travel, and Extraordinary Life Forms. Based on the motivational-control model, it was hypothesized that the societal stressors affecting Latvian society during the last 50 yr. have led to a reduced sense of personal control which, in turn, has resulted in increased endorsement of paranormal beliefs to re-establish a sense of control. The motivational-control hypothesis was not supported. Results indicated that (except for Traditional Religious Belief in women), the majority of these students were disbelievers in paranormal phenomena. As hypothesized, Latvian women reported significantly greater paranormal belief than men.

Validation française de la Revised Paranormal Belief Scale

For the last decades, many researchers have focused on paranormal beliefs. Beliefs in the existence of paranormal phenomena would be common and studies conducted in westernized countries have highlighted a high prevalence of individuals believing in the existence of such phenomena. Tobacyk and Milford (1984) developed the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS) for assessing beliefs in paranormal phenomena. This 26-item self-reported questionnaire, measuring beliefs in phenomena such as witchcraft or superstition, is one of the most widely used questionnaires to assess such beliefs. While studies focusing on paranormal beliefs tend to develop, there is no French self-report instrument to assess this construct. Researchers have tried to identify specific variables that might be linked to such beliefs, and some have focused on personalities of individuals who believe in the paranormal. Schizotypy has been reported to be significantly and positively correlated with paranormal beliefs. The aim of this study was a) to validate the French version of the RPBS and b) to explore the relationship between Schizotypal Personality Disorder traits and paranormal beliefs. After being recruited using the Internet and social networks (e.g. facebook), a sample of 313 participants (mean [SD] age=31.12 [11.62]; range 18-58years) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B), assessing Schizotypal Personality Disorder traits and the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale assessing paranormal beliefs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the proposed 7-factor structure of the RPB developed by Tobacyk. Several adjustment indices were used to evaluate the model. As the first model did not fit the original one, others models were tested. Our findings indicated that a seven-factor solution, excluding 2 items, best described the item structure: (1) spiritualism, (2) superstition, (3) witchcraft, (4) precognition, (5) traditional religious belief, (6) psi, (7) and extraordinary life forms. Relationships between paranormal beliefs and Schizotypal Personality Disorder traits were also explored. Correlations between some subscales of the SPQ-B and some dimensions of the RPBS were found. The "cognition-perception" subscale was strongly correlated with the "witchcraft", "spirituality", "precognition" and "psi" subscales. Nevertheless, this subscale was lightly correlated with the "traditional religious belief" and "extraordinary life forms" dimensions. No correlation was found between the others dimensions of schizotypy as "disorganized" and "interpersonal" and dimensions of paranormal beliefs. The initial model developed by Tobacyk and Milford did not fit the data from the French population. The low internal consistencies regarding both superstition and extraordinary life forms dimensions highlighted some cultural differences that have to be acknowledged. This result emphasizes that beliefs in some extraordinary life forms as Loch Ness monster are not an important dimension to take into account in a French population. Our findings also indicate that the RPBS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing paranormal beliefs in a French population. Our findings also highlight that such beliefs are associated with Schizotypal Personality Disorder traits. Developing research on the association between Schizotypal Personality Disorder traits and such beliefs appears of prime importance. Future studies focusing on features associated with paranormal beliefs are also warranted.

Schizophrenia and the paranormal: More psi belief and superstition, and less déjà vu in medicated schizophrenic patients

ObjectiveThe present study examined the relation between déjà vu experiences and paranormal beliefs in schizophrenic patients. MethodsA total of 522 participants (54.5% female; mean age=33.3, SD=16.02) were recruited, including 422 healthy adults (60.9% female; mean age=29.48, SD=15.07) and 100 medicated adult schizophrenic patients (27.3% female; mean age=48.98, SD=8.57). The Chinese version of the Inventory of Déjà-vu Experiences Assessment was created via back translation. Chinese versions of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (CRPB), Beck Anxiety Inventory (CBAI), and Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) were also used. Results and ConclusionAfter controlling for age, gender, education, and anxiety, the results supported the following three hypotheses. Schizophrenic persons have fewer déjà vu experiences than normal persons. These experiences are positively related to paranormal beliefs in healthy adults but not in schizophrenic patients. Schizophrenic patients have higher scores than healthy adults on the psi and superstitious subscales of the CRPB.

Influence of Paranormal beliefs on Psychopathology in a CrossCultural Society

The purpose of this study was to determine if there would be significant main and interaction influence of paranormal beliefs and culture on incidence of psychopathology among a non-psychotic population. A survey research was carried out using a purposive non-probability sampling method drawing the sample from two ethnic groups; Yoruba and Igbo. They consisted of two hundred and four respondents with 78 adolescent and 126 adults with the age range of 14 and 65 years, 103 male and 101 female, 132 Christians, 66 Muslims and 6 traditional religious adherents, 107 Yoruba and 98 Igbo; all of which attained the minimum educational level of Junior Secondary School Certificate, who responded to Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (Tobacyk, 1988) and the General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1978).Using Factorial Design, 2 X 2 ANOVA and Independent t-test to analyse the data, results indicated that paranormal beliefs significantly influenced anxiety and depression dimensions of psychopathology. It was also revealed that there was a significant main influence of culture on anxiety and depression. Also observed was a significant difference between the two ethnic groups, Yoruba and Igbo, on paranormal belief and incidence of psychopathology. It was therefore concluded that paranormal beliefs and culture have significant main influence on incidence of psychopathological symptoms.

Implicit Religion and the Quest for Meaning

A range of theoretical perspectives postulate that religion, in both its implicit and explicit manifestations, is associated with the quest for meaning and purpose in life. This theoretical perspective is examined by the administration of the Purpose in Life Test (developed by Crumbaugh & Maholick) to a sample of 139 undergraduate students from Northern Ireland and Wales, alongside measures concerned with contrasting views of transcendence: the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (developed by Tobacyk) and the Scale of Attitude towards Christianity (developed by Francis). The data demonstrate that purpose in life is significantly related to conceptualisations of transcendence. The implications of these fascinating findings for nuancing the construct of implicit religion are discussed.

P01-134 - Religiosity and personal beliefs in ocd and anxiety disorders

BackgroundIn the last decades the relationship between religiosity/spirituality (R/S), personal beliefs and mental health has been extensively studied, indicating a significant correlation of these variables. However, the specific relation of R/S to anxiety disorders has been less investigated.ObjectiveThe objective of this prospective study is the investigation of the relation of R/S, magical ideation (MI) and paranormal beliefs (PB) to anxiety disorders in general and OCD in particular, in order to specifically determine a possible impact of these variables on psychopathology scores. In addition, the relation between R/S, PB and MI can be systematically investigated.Design & methodUnselected samples with OCD and other anxiety disorders have been equally assessed within the first week after admission with a face-to-face interview including the following instruments: MINI, HAMD, HAMA and Y-BOCS, OCI-R, STAI, Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiosity/Spirituality, Magical Ideation Scale and Revised Paranormal Beliefs Scale. Forty healthy participants with no psychiatric history served as controls.ResultsGroups did not differ in any aspect of R/S, MI, or PB. Almost all scales referring to R/S, PB and MI were positively correlated to each other. The results showed a strong positive correlation between high scores of negative religious coping and high psychopathology scores in depression and anxiety. On the other hand, there was a significant positive correlation between MI scores and initial OCD and anxiety scores.ConclusionThis study verifies a significant correlation between personal beliefs and psychopathology in OCD and anxiety disorders. Implications for further research are discussed.

The Relationships Between Paranormal Belief, Creationism, Intelligent Design and Evolution at Secondary Schools in Vienna (Austria)

The present study is the first to investigate the relationships between a multiple set of paranormal beliefs and the acceptance of evolution, creationism, and intelligent design, respectively, in Europe. Using a questionnaire, 2,129 students at secondary schools in Vienna (Austria) answered the 26 statements of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (R-PBS) and three statements about naturalistic evolution, creationism and intelligent design (ID). The investigated Austrian students showed an average R-PBS score of 82.08, more than 50% of them agreed with naturalistic evolution, 28% with creationism, and more than a third agreed with ID, the latter two closely correlated with each other. Females generally showed higher belief scores in the paranormal, creationism and ID. The agreement with naturalistic evolution correlated negatively with religious belief, but not with other paranormal beliefs, whereas the two non-scientific alternatives to evolution significantly correlated with both traditional and paranormal beliefs. Religious belief showed a significant positive correlation with other paranormal beliefs. All subscales of paranormal belief decreased during the eight grades of secondary school, as did acceptance of creationism and ID. However, the acceptance of naturalistic evolution did not correlate with age or grade. Possible reasons and implications for science education and the biology curriculum at Austrian secondary schools are discussed.

Paranormal Beliefs and Religiosity: Chinese Version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale

This paper reports an initial study investigating the relations of paranormal beliefs with religiosity in a Chinese sample, as well as the development of a Chinese version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and a test of its psychometric properties with 310 college students (5.5% Christians, 21.3% Buddhists, 61% believers in traditional Chinese religions, and 12% atheists). The reliability and validity of the Chinese version were satisfactory. In general, traditional Chinese religious believers had higher scores on paranormal belief than did Christians and atheists, and the mean total score of the Chinese participants was higher than previously reported in a Western sample. It was concluded that the greater involvement of practitioners of traditional Chinese religions in activities emphasizing paranormal experiences might contribute to their greater paranormal belief, especially as compared to the minority Christian group. The results are consistent with the idea that Christianity may offer the least support for paranormal belief.

P01-118 - Religiosity correlates significantly with paranormal beliefs and magical ideation in patients with anxiety disorders

IntroductionReligiosity and spirituality are transcultural parameter of human experience with a complex, multidimensional construct. However, research shows religious commitment and practices being not only important for the personal beliefs, but also for physical and mental health. Findings suggest also other personal beliefs, such as magical ideation and paranormal beliefs similarly influencing psychiatric disorders and mental health. However, these factors are far more multidimensional than once thought.ObjectivesThe objective of the study is the investigation of the relation of religiosity/spirituality, magical ideation and paranormal beliefs in anxiety disorders and the specification of potential differences in beliefs between OCD and other anxiety disorders.MethodsUnselected patients with OCD and other anxiety disorders as core diagnosis have been equally assessed within the first week after admission with self-rating tests including the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiosity/Spirituality (BMMRS), Magical Ideation Scale (MIS) and Revised Paranormal Beliefs Scale (RPBS).Results80 patients have been recruited and classified in three groups: OCD, other anxiety disorders and healthy control group. All groups reached in average not significantly deviating RPBS, MIS and BMMRS total scores. However, the three personal belief scales did show an interesting relation to each other. RPBS score correlated significantly with BMMRS (r = .34, p < .01) and with MIS score (r = .56, p < .01), while MIS total scores have shown a significant relationship with almost every subscale of the BMMRS.ConclusionThis study verifies a significant positive correlation between paranormal beliefs, overall religiosity and magical ideation.

Introducing the Modified Paranormal Belief Scale: Distinguishing between Classic Paranormal Beliefs, Religious Paranormal Beliefs and Conventional Religiosity among Undergraduates in Northern Ireland and Wales

Previous empirical studies concerned with the association between paranormal beliefs and conventional religiosity have produced conflicting evidence. Drawing on Rice's (2003) distinction between classic paranormal beliefs and religious paranormal beliefs, the present study proposed a modified form of the Tobacyk Revised Paranormal Belief Scale to produce separate scores for these two forms of paranormal belief, styled ‘religious paranormal beliefs’ and ‘classic paranormal beliefs’. Data provided by a sample of 143 undergraduate students in Northern Ireland and Wales, who completed the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity alongside the Tobacyk Revised Paranormal Belief Scale, demonstrated that conventional religiosity is positively correlated with religious paranormal beliefs, but independent of classic paranormal beliefs. These findings provide a clear framework within which previous conflicting evidence can be interpreted. It is recommended that future research should distinguish clearly between these two forms of paranormal beliefs and that the Tobacyk Revised Paranormal Beliefs Scale should be routinely modified to detach the four religious paranormal belief items from the total scale score.

Childhood Physical Abuse and Differential Development of Paranormal Belief Systems

This study compared paranormal belief systems in individuals with and without childhood physical abuse histories. The Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and the Assessing Environments III Questionnaire were completed by 107 University students. Psi, precognition, and spiritualism, which are thought to provide a sense of personal efficacy and control, were among the most strongly held beliefs in abused subjects, and were significantly higher in abused versus nonabused subjects. Superstition and extraordinary life forms, thought to have an inverse or no relation to felt control, were the least strongly held beliefs in abused subjects, and, along with religious beliefs, did not differ between the two abuse groups. Witchcraft was unexpectedly found to be the most strongly held belief among those with abuse histories. Results suggest that by providing a sense of control, certain paranormal beliefs may offer a powerful emotional refuge to individuals who endured the stress of physical abuse in childhood.

Alternative medicine: A psychological perspective

The contribution of various predictors to belief in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) was examined. Participants ( N = 3261) completed a measure of CAM beliefs, the Rational–Experiential Inventory, the Magical Beliefs about Food and Health Scale, the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale, and Schwartz’s Value Survey. The results promoted the view of CAM beliefs in the light of intuitive thinking, paranormal beliefs and magical food and health beliefs, while demonstrating limitations in the capacity of values, rational thinking, and gender to explain them. The findings facilitate integration of previous findings and permit more precise understanding of CAM beliefs.

Relationships between locus of control and paranormal beliefs.

The present study investigated the associations between scores on paranormal beliefs, locus of control, and certain psychological processes such as affect and cognitions as measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Analysis yielded significant correlations between scores on Locus of Control and two subscales of Tobacyk's (1988) Revised Paranormal Beliefs Scale, New Age Philosophy and Traditional Paranormal Beliefs. A step-wise multiple regression analysis indicated that Locus of Control was significantly related to New Age Philosophy. Other correlations were found between Tobacyk's subscales, Locus of Control, and three processes measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count.

Hindsight and confirmation biases in an exercise in telepathy.

Belief in the paranormal or claims of paranormal experiences may be, at least in part, associated with systematic cognitive biases. 48 undergraduate college students engaged in an exercise in telepathy in which the color of cards was 'sent' to them by the experimenter under two conditions. In a Hindsight-possible condition, participants recorded whether their choice was correct following the revelation of the color. In the Control condition participants committed to a particular response by writing it down before receiving feedback, thus eliminating ability to alter retrospectively what 'was known all along'. Consistent with a hindsight bias, participants performed significantly better under the Hindsight-possible condition. Moreover, a statisically significant correlation was found between paranormal belief assessed on Tobacyk's 1988 Revised Paranormal Belief Scale in the Hindsight-possible but not in the Control condition, suggesting a confirmation bias. Results are discussed in terms of interactions between hindsight and confirmation biases and how they might relate to paranormal beliefs.

Order effects in research on paranormal belief.

Measures of paranormal belief and emotional intelligence were given a group of 72 college students using Tobacyk's Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden, and Dornheim's Emotional Intelligence Scale. Order effects indicated that participants who took the Paranormal Belief Scale first had lower emotional intelligence scores than those who took the Emotional Intelligence Scale first. The study demonstrates the importance of taking order effects into account when conducting research on paranormal belief.

ORDER EFFECTS IN RESEARCH ON PARANORMAL BELIEF

Measures of paranormal belief and emotional intelligence were given a group of 72 college students using Tobacyk's Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden, and Dornheim's Emotional Intelligence Scale. Order effects indicated that participants who took the Paranormal Belief Scale first had lower emotional intelligence scores than those who took the Emotional Intelligence Scale first. The study demonstrates the importance of taking order effects into account when conducting research on paranormal belief.

Clinical relevance of the two-factor rasch version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale

Abstract The two-factor Rasch version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale reportedly measures individually oriented (New Age Philosophy) and socially oriented (Traditional Paranormal Belief) paranormal beliefs. Preliminary studies investigated the construct validity of this revised scale against other variables, but the prediction that dissociative and schizotypal tendencies are more strongly related to New Age Philosophy than to Traditional Paranormal Beliefs has not been tested. Thus, a sample of 116 Australian adults completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B), and the two-factor Rasch version of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale. As predicted, the clinical measures showed different patterns of correlations with the two types of paranormal belief. New Age Philosophy showed small but consistent associations with pathological and nonpathological dissociation and the Perceptual-Cognitive subscale of the SPQ-B. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that the cumulative effects of psychopathology predicted only beliefs associated with New Age Philosophy. Thus, only particular types of paranormal belief are related to dissociative and schizotypal tendencies, and this knowledge may help guide therapeutic approaches to paranormal beliefs and experiences related to “Religious or Spiritual Problems” of the DSM-IV.

MEASURES OF THE SHEEP-GOAT VARIABLE, TRANSLIMINALITY, AND THEIR CORRELATES

In this study a battery of pencil-and-paper tests was given to 125 first-year psychology students (27% men). This battery included as measures of belief in the paranormal (the so-called “sheep-goat variable”) the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale, Tobacyk's Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (comprised of two scales—New Age Philosophy and Traditional Paranormal Beliefs), and the Anomalous Experience Inventory (comprised of five scales: Anomalous/Paranormal Experience, Belief, Ability, Fear, and Drug Use). Also included were the 29-item Transliminality Scale, a 35-item Kundalini Scale, an experimental 13-item Determinism/Free Will scale, and a number of single-question items aimed specifically at transliminality. The results were, first, that virtually all the measures of the sheep-goat variable were intercorrelated with each other (range, .34 to .77), thereby providing support for their convergent validity. Second, scores on the Kundalini Scale and Drug Use correlated significantly with scores on the sheep-goat variable, replicating previous findings. And, finally, many correlates of transliminality were found, again including scores on the Kundalini Scale and Drug Use (prescribed and illicit) as well as certain determinism-related beliefs. Beliefs, experiences, and behaviors associated with transliminality and the Kundalini experience may reflect a desire to escape a negative state of being.