The Superstitious Scholar: Paranormal Belief within a Student population and its relationship to Academic Ability and Discipline

Robin Andrews, Philip Tyson

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    26 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    The development and application of critical thinking skills are an important component of success at University. Such skills permit students to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of evidence,
    argument and theory. However research suggests that many students believe in paranormal phenomena (e.g. telekinesis). Such beliefs defy the basic principles of science and do not stand up
    to critical scrutiny. This study aimed to investigate paranormal beliefs within a student population; differences among gender, academic discipline, and academic performance were explored. Findings indicated that females expressed higher levels of paranormal belief than males, ‘hard’ science students (e.g. Biology) and ‘soft’ science students (e.g. Sociology) expressed lower levels of belief than arts students, and a significant negative correlation indicated that high achievers were less likely to endorse paranormal beliefs. In light of these results we suggest that paranormal phenomena may be a useful tool for teaching critical thinking skills at University.
    Original languageEnglish
    Number of pages13
    JournalJournal of Applied Research in Higher Education
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 14 Feb 2019

    Keywords

    • critical thinking
    • cognitive ability
    • learning in higher education
    • paranormal beliefs
    • rationalizing

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The Superstitious Scholar: Paranormal Belief within a Student population and its relationship to Academic Ability and Discipline'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this