Starter- mini boards Define Coincidence Explain one study into coincidence

Today Review- Coincidence Group work Magical Thinking and Superstition

Blackmore How many of these statements are true for you? 1.There is someone called Jack in my family. 2.I have a scar on my left knee. 3.Last night I dreamed of someone I haven’t seen for many years. 4.I travel regularly in a white car. 5.I once broke my arm. 6.My back is giving me pain at the moment. 7.I am one of three children. 8.I own a CD of Handel’s Water Music. 9.I have a cat. 10.I have been to France in the past year.

Imagine that you stop the first person you come to in the street and you ask this person questions; estimate how many of the ten statements would be true for this person. 1.There is someone called Jack in my family. 2.I have a scar on my left knee. 3.Last night I dreamed of someone I haven’t seen for many years. 4.I travel regularly in a white car. 5.I once broke my arm. 6.My back is giving me pain at the moment. 7.I am one of three children. 8.I own a CD of Handel’s Water Music. 9.I have a cat. 10.I have been to France in the past year.

Answer the following question Harry had a dream last night about his aunt Susan. She emigrated to Canada years ago and he has not heard from her for three years. This morning, he received a letter from his aunt saying that she was going to visit. He thinks that he might have psychic powers. How might psychologists explain Harry’s experience? Use your knowledge of the psychology of coincidence in your answer. (4 marks)

Explanations for magical thinking and superstitious behaviour You need to read about the explanation and prepare a short presentation /poster on your topic and the research Explain the theory Explain research into the theory Evaluate the theory- Limitations in theory/ Limitation in research/compare to others/fails to explain? 1.Contagion theory 2.Psychodynamic functions hypothesis (magical thinking) 3.Cognitive deficit hypothesis 4.Psychodynamic functions hypothesis (superstitious behaviour) 5.Operant conditioning 6. Cognitive –illusion of control

Starter- Questions 1.Outline Blackmore’s study into coincidence (3 marks) 2.Some people will say break a leg when wishing people luck. This is common in the theatre. How might a psychologist explain this superstitious behaviour? (3 marks) 3.How does the Cognitive deficit hypothesis explain magical thinking? ( 2 marks) 4.The finding that people who have been victims of war and trauma tend to demonstrate more paranormal belief supports which explanation for magical thinking/superstition? Why? (2 marks) 5.Briefly outline one study supporting a behaviourist explanation of Superstition (3 marks)

Answers 1.Blackmore published a questionnaire in the daily telegraph. It consisted of statements and participants had to say firstly whether they were true for themselves and secondly whether they would be true for a complete stranger they stopped in the street. The mean for themselves was 2.4 and for others it was 3.6. This shows that individuals believe that the statements are more likely to be true of others than they were to themselves. This supports the notion that our judgements are different towards others than ourselves and that we may attribute paranormal explanations when personally experiencing a coincidence.

Answers 2. Any of  Psychodynamic functions hypothesis  Behaviourist- operant conditioning  Cognitive illusion

Answers continued Irwin (1993) People who engage in magical thinking are illogical, foolish and irrational. They do not have the necessary cognitive resources to think logically. This is the preferred explanation by sceptics

4. Psychodynamic functions hypothesis as the individuals may now experience more anxiety or view life as more chaotic. They also may perceive themselves to have less control over future events. Magical/superstitious thinking them reduces the anxiety and offers a sense of control.

5. Skinner (1847) –Pigeons are operant conditioned and participate in ritual type behaviour that is not actually related to receiving food such as turning around clockwise. Maute – Operant conditioning and negative reinforcement. In a library participants believe a button stopped the noise from the computer even though it had nothing to do with it.

Personality questionnaire- Scoring For all questions other than 7 and 9: Very unlikely = 1 Moderately unlikely = 2 Neither likely or unlikely = 3 Moderately likely = 4 Very likely = 5 For questions 7 and 9: Very unlikely = 5 Moderately unlikely = 4 Neither likely or unlikely = 3 Moderately likely = 2 Very likely = 1

Which did you score highest on?

Personality types- Which do you think link to anomalous experience?

Neuroticism How does this link to Psychodynamic functions hypothesis?

Paranormal belief scale Do you remember your score? If not give yourself a score based on the following 7-14 Complete sceptic Sceptical in the middle I believe 37 + Very superstitious

Correlation- Neuroticism and Paranormal belief How does this link to Wiseman and Watt (2004) and Williams et al 2007? Ground these in your packs

Study Look at each row of words and write down a way that you can connect the two words 1.Potatomarriage 2.Pencilpiccolo 3.Cartrain track 4.Italypaint 5.Deck chairhole punch 6.Computermonkey

Self assessment Look at your words How creative were you on a scale from 1-5? Does this link to your paranormal belief?

Gianotti et al In the Gianotti et al study the links were rated for creativity. This score was then correlated with the individual’s belief in the paranormal. There was a positive link between belief in the paranormal and originality of the links.

Methodological issues How can we truly measure or operationalise creativity? What are the issues with correlations? How might social sensitivity link here?

Pair work Using Ipads/smart devices Research the Personality factors and make notes on 1.How they link to anomalistic experience 2.Research studies to support