Surekha Chukkali1 & Anjali M Dey2
1Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be University) Delhi-NCR. Email: surekha.chukkali@christuniversity.in
2Research Scholar, Center for Research, Christ (Deemed to be University)
Volume 12, Number 1, January-March, 2020 I Full Text PDF
DOI: 10.21659/rupkatha.v12n1.32
Abstract
Superstitions though considered as irrational beliefs are widely prevalent in all cultures. Most of the existing work on superstitions are predominantly based on traditional western beliefs. The relevance of established superstition scales which are developed in western societies in collective societies need to explored. Interdependent nature of self which is a characteristic of collectivistic culture also has a role in belief formation. The present study aims at developing a new self-report measure of superstitious beliefs scale. Study 1, focused on exploring the factor structure and establishing reliability over a sample of 338 undergraduate students. The 17-item Superstitious Belief Scale (SBS) developed distinguishes a six-factor structure namely, Popular Beliefs, Belief in Good Luck, Belief in Bad Luck, Personal Superstitions and Social Superstitions. The six-factor structure was evaluated on a new sample (N = 483) using confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2. The internal consistency values of the new SBS over Studies 1 and 2 indicated high reliability. The findings have important implications for existing theory on superstitions. The new framework proposes and demonstrates the need to base the understanding of measurement of superstitious beliefs relevant in India.
Keywords: superstitious beliefs, good luck, bad luck, scale, factor structure