Supplementary online material to Table 1.
Assessment methods by belief object and concept being measured (paranormal, superstitious,
magical, or supernatural beliefs). Abbreviations refer to questionnaires; authors' names refer to
experiments and other kinds of assessment methods.
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Extrasensory
AEI, ASG, "BEPP", ESQ, SBQ, "SIS",
"BSN", "SAP",
perception
BIPS, "BPQ", BPS, SQ, "SuQ",
SN, (Norenzayan
(ESP): telepathy, "BQ", "BR", BRS, (Case, et al.,
& Hansen, 2006;
clairvoyance,
"COPQ", CPB,
2004; Yip, 2003)
Salter &
precognition or
EBI, EE, GSS,
Routledge,
retrocognition
NBQ, PB, PBQ",
1971)
PBS, PBS-R, PEQ,
"PNBS", PQ, PS,
PSI, PSIQ, "QAB",
"QPP", (Ross &
Joshi, 1992;
Schofield &
Claridge, 2007;
Weeks, et al.,
2008)
Card reading,
palm reading
AEI, BPS, BRS,
EBI, NBQ, PB,
PSI, "QPP",
(Weeks, et al.,
2008)
Precognitive
dreams
AEI, ASG, BIPS,
BRS, PB, PBS ,
PEQ, "PNBS",
PQ, PSIQ,
"QAB",
(Blagrove,
French, & Jones,
2006; Ross &
Joshi, 1992)
ESQ, SBQ
MI
MDEMQ
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
2
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Psychokinesis or
levitation
AEI, ASG, BPQ,
BPS, BRS, EBI,
PB, "PBQ", PBS,
PBS-R, PSI, PSIQ,
"QPP",
(Wiseman,
Greening, &
Smith, 2003)
"SAP"
Extraordinary
life forms (e.g.,
cryptozoology,
the snowman of
Tibet)
CPB, BPS, BRS,
EBI, "PBQ", PBS,
PBS-R, "QPP"
Extraterrestrial
life (e.g., UFOs)
AEI, BPS, “BQ",
"BR", BRS, CPB,
"COPQ", EBS,
NBQ, PB, “PBQ",
PBS-R, PSI,
"QPP", "UGV",
"URB", (Manza,
et al., 2010;
Sharps, et al.,
2010)
ESQ,
MI
Omens (e.g.,
breaking a
mirror, black
cats)
EBI, "BR", PBS,
PBS-R, "PBQ"
ESQ, "ISB", PBS,
PBS-R, "PNS",
SQ, "SS"
MI
Amulets and
charms
EBI, "PBQ"
ESQ, LSQ, "PNS", MI, MTQ,
SBQ, "SIS", "SR", (Albas & Albas,
SRQ, "SuQ", TS, 1989)
(Damisch, et al.,
2010)
"BSN", SN,
(Salter &
Routledge,
1971)
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
3
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Lucky numbers, "BR", NBQ,
"ISB", LBQ, LSQ,
colors or days
"PBQ", PBS,
PBS , PBS-R, SQ,
PBS-R, "QPP"
SBQ, "STS",
(Block & Kramer,
2009; Kramer &
Block, 2008;
Rudski, 2004)
Luck-related
rituals (e.g.,
keeping one’s
fingers crossed
or using a
special pen in an
exam)
"BR", "PBQ"
Control of
miscellaneous
chance events
by thoughts or
behavior
LBehQ, LSQ,
"PNS", "SB", SQ,
"SR", SRQ, TS,
(Damisch, et al.,
2010; Schippers
& Van Lange,
2006)
MI, MTQ,
(Albas & Albas,
1989; Keinan,
2002)
SN
"SS",
(Aeschleman,
Rosen, &
Williams, 2003;
Wohl & Enzle,
2002)
MI, MTQ,
(Pronin, et al.,
2006;
Subbotsky,
2005;
Tykocinski,
2008)
MDEMQ, "SC"
"BSN", MDEMQ,
SN, (Salter &
Routledge,
1971)
Astrology, lunar
effects and
horoscopes
AEI, "BIA", BPP,
BPS, "BQ", "BR",
BRS, "COPQ",
EBI, NBQ, PB,
"PBQ", PBS-R,
PS, PSI, "QPP",
(Manza, et al.,
2010; Weeks, et
al., 2008)
ESQ, SBQ, "SIS",
"SuQ"
MI
Feng Shui
"PBQ"
"SiQ"
(Emmons, 1992)
Plants' ability to
sense and
communicate
BPS, NBQ, "QPP"
SN
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
4
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Miscellaneous
cosmic forces
and energies
(e.g., aura,
pyramid power)
Law of
contagion
AEI, NBQ, PSI,
"QPP"
MFH, MI
"BS", "SC", SN,
(Salter &
Routledge,
1971)
"CQ", DS, KSC,
MFH, MTQ,
(King, et al.,
2007; Morales &
Fitzsimons,
2007; Nemeroff,
1995; Nemeroff
& Rozin, 1989,
1994; Rozin,
Ashmore, &
Markwith, 1996;
Rozin, Grant,
Weinberg, &
Parker, 2007;
Rozin, Millman,
& Nemeroff,
1986; Sullivan &
Terry, 1998;
Tolin,
Worhunsky, &
Maltby, 2004;
Wohl & Enzle,
2002)
MDEMQ
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
5
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Law of similarity
DS, KSC, MFH,
MTQ, "OP",
(Hood, Donnelly,
Leonards, &
Bloom, 2010;
King, et al.,
2007; Occhipinti
& Siegal, 1994;
Rozin, et al.,
1986, 2007;
Rozin,
Markwith, &
Ross, 1990;
Wohl & Enzle,
2002)
Spiritual healing
AEI, "BQ", "BR",
"COPQ", PB,
PEQ, "QPP",
(Manza, et al.,
2010)
Alternative
medicine
NBQ, "QPP",
(Manza, et al.,
2010)
Gods
"COPQ", EBI,
"PBQ", PBS,
PBS-R
Supreme good
or bad beings
other than gods
(e.g., angels,
devils)
BPP, "COPQ",
EBI, NBQ,
"PBQ", PBS ,
PBS-R, "QPP",
(Ross & Joshi,
1992)
"SS"
(Winkelman,
1990)
(Yip, 2003)
SN
BIS, PQ, "SAN",
"SAP", "SC",
(Norenzayan &
Hansen, 2006;
Salter &
Routledge,
1971; Shtulman,
2008)
MI
BIS, "BS", PQ,
"SAN", "SAP",
(Salter &
Routledge,
1971; Shtulman,
2008)
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
6
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Creationism
"COPQ", NBQ,
NBQ,
"QPP"
Prayer
SRQ
"BSN", (Salter &
Routledge,
1971)
Fate
"SS", "SuQ"
"SC"
Afterlife,
reincarnation,
karma
AEI, ASG, BIPS,
BPP, "BQ",
"COPQ", EBI,
NBQ, "PBQ",
PBS, PBS-R,
"PNBS", PQ, PS,
"QPP"
SBQ, "SuQ"
Communication
with the dead
AEI, ASG, BPS,
BRS, EBI, "PBQ",
PBS, PBS-R,
"PNBS", PQ, PS,
PSI, (Ross &
Joshi, 1992)
(Yip, 2003)
Hell and / or
Heaven
"COPQ", EBI,
"PBQ", PBS, PBSR
Astral projection
(spirit separated
from the body)
AEI, EBI, BPQ,
PB, "PBQ", PBS,
PBS-R, "QPP",
(Ross & Joshi,
1992)
MI
MDEMQ, ”SAN",
"SAP", SN,
(Astuti & Harris,
2008; Bering &
Bjorklund, 2004;
Bering, McLeod,
& Shackelford,
2005;
Norenzayan &
Hansen, 2006)
SN, (Norenzayan
& Hansen, 2006)
MDEMQ
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
7
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Ghosts,
AEI, BPS,
ESQ, "SS"
(Shtulman,
haunting,
“COPQ", CPB,
2008)
poltergeist
EBI, PB, "PBQ",
"UGV", (Manza,
et al., 2010;
Ross & Joshi,
1992; Schofield
& Claridge,
2007; Sharps, et
al., 2010;
Weeks, et al.,
2008)
Witches and
bewitchment
(incl. spells,
curses, voodoo,
black magic)
AEI, BIM, BPQ,
BPS, EBI, "PBQ",
PBS , PBS-R, PSI,
(Schofield &
Claridge, 2007;
Weeks, et al.,
2008)
Déjà vu
AEI, "COPQ",
(Ross & Joshi,
1992; Weeks, et
al., 2008)
Illusory rule
detection
"SS"
MTQ,
(Berenbaum, et
al., 2009;
Pronin, et al.,
2006;
Subbotsky,
2004, 2005,
2007, 2009;
Subbotsky &
Quinteros, 2002)
"SC", (Legare &
Gelman, 2008;
Salter &
Routledge,
1971)
SN
(Freeman, et al., MI
2009; Gosselin &
Schyns, 2003;
Hatfield & Job,
1998; Matute,
1994; Mellon,
2009; Rudski,
2001; Rudski,
Lischner, &
Albert, 1999;
Vyse, 1991)
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
8
___________________________________________________________________________
Concept being measured
____________________________________________________________
Belief object
Paranormal
Superstition
Magical
Supernatural
___________________________________________________________________________
Altered states of AEI, "BEPP"
MI
consciousness
"PNBS", (Manza,
(e.g.,
et al., 2010;
hallucinations,
Schofield &
out-of-body
Claridge, 2007)
experience)
__________________________________________________________________________
Note. If the scale had no name, we named the scale and put the abbreviation in quotes.
Abbreviations: AEI = Anomalous Experiences Inventory (C. Gallagher, et al., 1994), ASG =
Australian Sheep-Goat Scale, developed by Thalbourne (Irwin, 2009), "BEPP" = Belief in the
Existence of Paranormal Phenomena (Lawrence & Peters, 2004), "BIA" = Belief in Astrology
(Dambrun, 2004), BIPS = Belief in the Paranormal Scale (Musch & Ehrenberg, 2002), BIS = Belief in
the Supernatural Scale (Beck & Miller, 2001), "BIM" = Belief in Magic (Subbotsky, 2009), BPP =
Belief in Paranormal Phenomena (Schulter & Papousek, 2008), BPQ = Belief in the Paranormal
Questionnaire (Bressan, 2002), BPS = Belief in the Paranormal Scale (Jones, Russell, & Nickel,
1977), "BQ" = Belief Questionnaire (Gray & Mill, 1990), "BR" = Belief Report (Kane, et al., 2010),
BRS = Baylor Religion Survey (Baker & Draper, 2010), "BS" = Belief in the Supernatural (De Graaf &
Te Grotenhuis, 2008), "BSN" = Belief in Supernatural (Pasachoff, Cohen, & Pasachoff, 1970),
"COPQ" = Core and Other Paranormal Questions (Rice, 2003), CPB = Cryptozoological and
Paranormal Beliefs (Sharps, et al., 2006), "CQ" = Contamination Questionnaire (Rozin, et al., 1986),
DS = Magical Thinking subscale of the Disgust Scale (Haidt, McCauley, & Rozin, 1994), EBI =
Extraordinary Beliefs Inventory (Otis & Alcock, 1982), EBS = Extraterrestrial Beliefs Scale (Swami,
Furnham, Haubner, Stieger, & Voracek, 2009), EE = Existence of ESP (Blackmore, 1997), ESQ =
Exeter Superstitions Questionnaire (Preece & Baxter, 2000), GSS= General Social Survey questions
about paranormal phenomena (e.g., MacDonald, 1995), ISB = Italian Superstitious Beliefs (Sica,
Novara, & Sanavio, 2002), KSC = Kosher Similarity and Contagion (Nemeroff & Rozin, 1992), LBehQ
= Lucky Behaviors Questionnaire and LBQ = Lucky Beliefs Questionnaire (Frost, et al., 1993), LSQ =
Luck and Superstition Questionnaire (T. J. Gallagher & Lewis, 2001), MDEMQ = Mental Distress
Explanatory Model Questionnaire (Eisenbruch, 1990), MFH = Magical Beliefs about Food and
Health Scale (Lindeman, Keskivaara, & Roschier, 2000), MI = Magical Ideation Scale (Eckblad &
Chapman, 1983), MTQ = Magical Thinking Questionnaire (Keinan, 1994), NBQ = Nonconventional
Beliefs Questionnaire (Grimmer & White, 1992), "OP" = Object Preference (Berenbaum, et al.,
2009), PB = Paranormal Beliefs (Sparks, Nelson, & Campbell, 1997), "PBQ" = Paranormal Belief
Questionnaire (Lindeman & Aarnio, 2007), PBS = Paranormal Belief Scale (Tobacyk & Milford,
1983), PBS-R = Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (Tobacyk, 2004), PEQ = Paranormal Experiences
Questionnaire (Rogers, Davis, & Fisk, 2009), "PNBS" = Paranormal Belief Scale (Blackmore &
Moore, 1994), "PNS" = Positive and Negative Superstitions (Wiseman & Watt, 2004), PQ =
Paranormal Questionnaire (Beck & Miller, 2001), PS = Paranormal Scale (Orenstein, 2002), PSI =
Paranormal Short Inventory (Randall, 1997), PSIQ = PSI Questionnaire (Blackmore & Troscianko,
1985), "QAB" = Questionnaire Assessing Belief in and Experience of Paranormal Phenomena
(Gianotti, et al., 2001), "QPP" = Questionnaire About Paranormal Phenomena (Grimmer & White,
DEFINING PSMS BELIEFS
9
1990), "SAN" = Supernatural Sanctions (Harris, 2003), "SAP" = Belief in Supernatural Agents and
Phenomena (Norenzayan, Hansen, & Cady, 2008), "SB" = Superstitious Behavior (Burger & Lynn,
2005), SBQ = Superstitious Belief Questionnaire (Ciborowski, 1997), "SC" = Supernatural Causes of
Mental Illness (Landrine & Klonoff, 1994), "SiQ" = Singapore Questionnaire (Tsang, 2004), "SIS" =
Superstition in a Society (Torgler, 2007), SN = Supernaturalism Questionnaire (Randall &
Desrosiers, 1980), SQ = Superstitiousness Questionnaire (Zebb & Moore, 2003), "SR" =
Superstitious Rituals Questionnaire (Rudski & Edwards, 2007), SRQ = Superstitious Ritual
Questionnaire originally developed by Buhrmann, Brown and Zaugg (Bleak & Frederick, 1998),
"SuQ" = Superstition Questionnaire (Tykocinski, 2008), "SS" = Superstition Scale (Peltzer & Renner,
2003), "STS" = Surface Trait Superstition (Mowen & Carlson, 2003), TS = Trait Superstition Scale
(Carlson, Mowen, & Fang, 2009), "UGV" = UFO and Ghost Video Clips (King, et al., 2007), "URB" =
UFO-related Beliefs (Chequers, Joseph, & Diduca, 1997).
___________________________________________________________________________
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