The Role of Doublethink and Other Coping Processes in Paranormal and Related Beliefs

Title
The Role of Doublethink and Other Coping Processes in Paranormal and Related Beliefs
Publication Date
2015
Author(s)
Irwin, Harvey J
Dagnall, Neil
Drinkwater, Kenneth
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Society for Psychical Research
Place of publication
United Kingdom
UNE publication id
une:17811
Abstract
Two online surveys were undertaken to investigate relationships between the intensity of paranormal and related beliefs and the predictors of coping style and proneness to 'doublethink', the tendency to endorse contradictory beliefs concurrently. In Study 1, completed by 257 participants, Traditional Religious Beliefs were related to proneness to doublethink, but not to coping style. New Age Beliefs were not correlated with either set of predictors. A second objective of Study 1 was to examine the possibility that elevated existential anxiety would exacerbate the intensity of paranormal and related beliefs. No evidence for such an effect was educed. In Study 2, completed by 534 adults, proneness to doublethink and deficits in reality testing were found jointly to predict the intensity of both New Age Beliefs and Traditional Religious Beliefs. Given the conceptual significance of the study's hypotheses it is hoped that future researchers will pursue these issues through more sophisticated methods.
Link
Citation
Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 79(2), p. 80-97
ISSN
2515-1916
0037-9751
Start page
80
End page
97

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