Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition - Updated EditionWhile we live in a technologically and scientifically advanced age, superstition is as widespread as ever. Not limited to just athletes and actors, superstitious beliefs are common among people of all occupations, educational backgrounds, and income levels. In this fully updated edition of Believing in Magic, renowned superstition expert Stuart Vyse investigates our tendency towards these irrational beliefs. Superstitions, he writes, are the natural result of several psychological processes, including our human sensitivity to coincidence, a penchant for developing rituals to fill time (to battle nerves, impatience, or both), our efforts to cope with uncertainty, the need for control, and more. In a new Introduction, Vyse discusses important developments and the latest research on jinxes, paranormal beliefs, and luck. He also distinguishes superstition from paranormal and religious beliefs and identifies the potential benefits of superstition for believers. He examines the research to demonstrate how we can better understand complex human behavior. Although superstition is a normal part of our culture, Vyse argues that we must provide alternative methods of coping with life's uncertainties by teaching decision analysis, promoting science education, and challenging ourselves to critically evaluate the sources of our beliefs. |
Contents
1 Believing in Magic | 3 |
2 The Superstitious Person | 31 |
3 Superstition and Coincidence | 73 |
4 Superstitious Thinking | 113 |
5 Growing Up Superstitious | 169 |
6 Is Superstition Abnormal Irrational or Neither? | 205 |
7 A Magical View of the World | 237 |
Coda | 263 |
Acknowledgments | 265 |
Notes | 267 |
289 | |
309 | |
Other editions - View all
Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition - Updated Edition Stuart A. Vyse Limited preview - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
accepted action addition American appear asked associated authority avoid beginning behavior belief better called cause chance chapter common complete conditioning continue course death demonstrated described disorder effect evidence examine example expected experiment fear feel figure Finally give given greater human ideas important individual influence involved kind lead learning less levels lives lottery luck lucky magical mental methods nature objects observed operant Opie paranormal paranormal beliefs participants particular percent performance person placed play players popular positive possible practice presented probability problem produced psychological psychologists questions random reasoning received reinforcement relationship reported response result rituals scientific sense showed similar simple social sometimes success suggests superstition superstitious behavior theory things thinking thought tion understanding University winning