Believing in magic : the psychology of superstition / Stuart Vyse.

By: Vyse, Stuart AMaterial type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Oxford University Press, USA, [2014]Copyright date: 2014Edition: Updated EditionDescription: 1 online resource (329 pages)Content type: text Media type: computer Carrier type: online resourceISBN: 9780199996933Subject(s): SuperstitionGenre/Form: Electronic books.Additional physical formats: Print version:: Believing in magic : the psychology of superstition.DDC classification: 133.4/3019 LOC classification: BF1775 | .V97 2014Online resources: Click to View
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: -- Introduction -- 1. Believing in Magic -- 2. The Superstitious Person -- 3. Superstition and Coincidence -- 4. Superstitious Thinking -- 5. Growing Up Superstitious -- 6. Is Superstition Abnormal, Irrational, or Neither? -- 7. A Magical View of the World.
Summary: "While we live in a technologically and scientifically advanced age, superstition is as widespread as ever. Not limited to just athletes and actors, superstitious beliefs are common among people of all occupations, educational backgrounds, and income levels. In this fully updated edition of Believing in Magic, renowned superstition expert Stuart Vyse investigates our tendency towards these irrational beliefs. Superstitions, he writes, are the natural result of several psychological processes, including our human sensitivity to coincidence, a penchant for developing rituals to fill time (to battle nerves, impatience, or both), our efforts to cope with uncertainty, the need for control, and more. In a new Introduction, Vyse discusses important developments and the latest research on jinxes, paranormal beliefs, and luck. He also distinguishes superstition from paranormal and religious beliefs and identifies the potential benefits of superstition for believers. He examines the research to demonstrate how we can better understand complex human behavior. Although superstition is a normal part of our culture, Vyse argues that we must provide alternative methods of coping with life's uncertainties by teaching decision analysis, promoting science education, and challenging ourselves to critically evaluate the sources of our beliefs"-- Provided by publisher.
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Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: -- Introduction -- 1. Believing in Magic -- 2. The Superstitious Person -- 3. Superstition and Coincidence -- 4. Superstitious Thinking -- 5. Growing Up Superstitious -- 6. Is Superstition Abnormal, Irrational, or Neither? -- 7. A Magical View of the World.

"While we live in a technologically and scientifically advanced age, superstition is as widespread as ever. Not limited to just athletes and actors, superstitious beliefs are common among people of all occupations, educational backgrounds, and income levels. In this fully updated edition of Believing in Magic, renowned superstition expert Stuart Vyse investigates our tendency towards these irrational beliefs. Superstitions, he writes, are the natural result of several psychological processes, including our human sensitivity to coincidence, a penchant for developing rituals to fill time (to battle nerves, impatience, or both), our efforts to cope with uncertainty, the need for control, and more. In a new Introduction, Vyse discusses important developments and the latest research on jinxes, paranormal beliefs, and luck. He also distinguishes superstition from paranormal and religious beliefs and identifies the potential benefits of superstition for believers. He examines the research to demonstrate how we can better understand complex human behavior. Although superstition is a normal part of our culture, Vyse argues that we must provide alternative methods of coping with life's uncertainties by teaching decision analysis, promoting science education, and challenging ourselves to critically evaluate the sources of our beliefs"-- Provided by publisher.

Description based on print version record.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest, 2015. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest affiliated libraries.

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