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| Black cat by a fence Geoffrey Sutton & Bing AI, 2023 |
Superstition refers to an irrational belief that a particular object, action, or event possesses special meaning or causal power. Such beliefs give people a sense of influence or control over outcomes that are, in reality, uncertain or uncontrollable. Superstitions can be positive—such as relying on good‑luck charms—or negative, such as avoiding potential misfortune by refusing to stay in a room numbered 13 (Sutton, 2023).
Cite this Article:
Sutton, G. W. (2023, June 10). Superstition in psychology. Psychology Concepts and Theories. https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/06/superstition-in-psychology.html
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Superstitious behavior are actions performed to produce positive or negative outcomes when there is no evidence that the behavior is linked to the desired outcomes.
Examples of objects
Lucky charms, figurines, a statue, a rabbit's foot, clothes worn when someone was successful at something like an athletic event. Objects having the number 13 or 666.
Examples of superstitions related to events
Worries about negative events on Friday 13th, killing a ladybug, and black cats crossing one's path.
Examples of superstitious behavior
Rubbing a lucky object, crossing one's fingers, knocking on wood, failing to respond to a chain letter, and avoiding walking under a ladder.
Survey Data
A 2022 yougov poll of Americans identified common harbingers of good and bad luck. Following are some examples.
For good luck-
Making a wish while blowing out candles on a birthday cake
Seeing a shooting star
Saying "bless you" after someone sneezes
Knocking on wood
Seeing a rainbow
For bad luck-
walking under a ladder
broken mirrors
the number 666
Friday the 13th
According to a 2000 Gallup poll, 25% of Americans are superstitious. The percentage is higher among people under age 30 (35%).
Why are people superstitious?
Jane Risen (2016) suggests two factors
1. Our brains quickly process situations before our ability to think carefully about a situation would lead to a more reasonable understanding of a situation. Thus we may act "without thinking." This a problem of error detection.
2. Some people realize they hold an irrational belief or are engaging in irrational behavior but do not change, which is a problem of error correction.
Friday the 13th ( also called triskaidekaphobia)
This old belief of pending evil may stem from the Christian story of Jesus' last supper on a Friday when 13 people were present.
Reference
Risen, J. L. (2016). Believing what we do not believe: Acquiescence to superstitious beliefs and other powerful intuitions. Psychological Review, 123(2), 182–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rev0000017
Post Author
Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is www.suttong.com
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