On the Adaptive Value of Paranormal Beliefs - a Qualitative Study
- Ten female and five male participants (age range 28–50 years) were recruited at esoteric fairs or via esoteric chatrooms. In a guided face-to-face interview, they reported origins and contents of their beliefs in e.g. esoteric practices, supernatural beings, rebirthing, channeling. Transcripts of the tape-recorded reports were subjected to a qualitative analysis. Exhaustive categorization of the narratives’ content revealed that paranormal beliefs were functional with regard to two fundamental motives – striving for mastery and valuing me and mine (striving for a positive evaluation of the self). Moreover, paranormal beliefs paved the way for goal-setting and leading a meaningful life but, on the negative side, could also result in social exclusion. Results are discussed with reference to the adaptive value of paranormal beliefs.
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| Author: | Tilmann Betsch, Paul Jäckel, Mareike Hammes, Babette Julia Brinkmann |
|---|---|
| URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:832-epub4-21286 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-020-09594-5 |
| ISSN: | 1932-4502 |
| ISSN: | 1936-3567 |
| Parent Title (English): | Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science |
| Publisher: | Springer US |
| Document Type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of Publication (online): | 2023/04/24 |
| GND-Keyword: | Anpassung |
| Tag: | Adaptation; Mastery; Meaning; Paranormality; Self |
| Volume: | 55 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Page Number: | 11 Seiten |
| Institutes: | Angewandte Sozialwissenschaften (F01) / Fakultät 01 / Institut für Geschlechterstudien |
| Dewey Decimal Classification: | 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften |
| Open Access: | Open Access |
| DeepGreen: | DeepGreen |
| Licence (German): |  Creative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |