Childhood Trauma and the Origins of Paranormal Belief: A Constructive Replication

Irwin, Harvey J.

doi:10.2466/pr0.1994.74.1.107

Cited by 50 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…There is reasonable support for Irwin's PFH with self-reported paranormal experiences and/or beliefs linked to global measures of childhood trauma (e.g., Rogers, Qualter & Phelps, 2007) as well as intrafamilial physical abuse (Irwin, 1992;Lawrence, Edwards, Barraclough & Church, 1995;Perkins & Allen, 2006), sexual abuse (Berkowski & MacDonald, 2014;Ross & Joshi, 1992), emotional abuse (Berkowski & MacDonald, 2014;Rabeyron & Watt, 2010), being raised by alcoholic (Irwin, 1994) or overly-authoritarian (Watt, Watson, & Wilson, 2007) parents and domestic instability (Lawrence et al, 1995).…”

Section: *Highlights (For Review)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Varieties of childhood maltreatment as predictors of adult paranormality and New Age Orientation

Rogers

Lowrie

2016

Personality and Individual Differences

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This study examines the degree to which varieties of childhood maltreatment (in)directly predict adult paranormal and New Age worldviews. Mediation analyses were performed with maltreatment types serving as potential predictors, facets of fantasy proneness as potential mediators and aspects of adult paranormality (anomalous experiences, beliefs, abilities and fears) plus a general New Age orientation as five separate criteria measures. Several hypotheses were (partially) supported. First, child sexual abuse directly predicted more selfreported anomalous experiences, with parental threats of rejection directly predicting fewer anomalous fears in adulthood. Second, indirect relationships between childhood neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and instrumental parentification emerged for all criteria except anomalous fears, with these relationships mediated by at least one facet of fantasy proneness; either vivid/realistic and/or make-believe fantasizing. These findings are consistent with Irwin's (2009) Psychodynamic Functions Hypothesis; the notion that adult paranormality offers an adaptive, needs-serving mechanism for coping with sense of diminished control often stemming from childhood trauma. Contrary to Irwin's model, childhood physical abuse, emotional parentification and parental threats of both abandonment and punishment failed to predict any outcome measure either directly or via more pronounced fantasizing. Theoretical implications, methodological issues and ideas for future research are discussed. 01-12Rationale for exploring specific facets of fantasy proneness is added (cf. Reviewer 2). 01-07 --The above additions contrast with other feedback that the INTRODUCTION is too long (cf. Reviewer 1). In attempt to satisfy these conflicting viewpoints, the INTROCTION has been restructured and re-written for greater succinctness wherever possible. 11-14 11-09The mediation analysis subsection within RESULTS has been restructured for greater clarity and reduced "long-windedness" (cf. Reviewer 1).14-18 10-22 DISCUSSION is now better aligned to RESULTS, with the mixed nature of current findings highlighted (cf. Reviewer 3). Footnotes --A number of footnotes have been re-integrated into the main text else omitted (cf. PAID guidelines) Tables --The visual structure of Table 2 has been improved not through use of boldface (cf. Reviewer 1) but through simplification and use of blank rows. Tables 4 to 8 were not amended as boldface would have necessitated an even smaller font size.Tables --The range of n values in Table 2 has been re-checked and amended. This range reflects differences in the rate of missing values across the dichotomized and demographic (inter) correlations and is done for simplicity and brevity (cf. Reviewer 3). Similar reasoning applies to Tables 4 to 8. All --Citation errors have been amended whenever found (cf. Reviewer 1). All --The manuscript has been re-edited with any spelling and/or grammatical errors rectified. Dear Dr Vernon, Please find enclosed a revised copy of our paper "...

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Section: *Highlights (For Review)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Varieties of childhood maltreatment as predictors of adult paranormality and New Age Orientation

Rogers

Lowrie

2016

Personality and Individual Differences

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“…Albeit the psychological functions of paranormal belief have been extensively documented with respect to cognitive tendency of developing schizophrenia (Genovese, 2005;Goulding, 2005;Hergovich, Schott, & Arendasy, 2008;Williams & Irwin, 1991), reality testing (Irwin, 2004), control over life (Irwin, 2000;Watt, Watson, & Wilson, 2007), and false sense of causation (Wiseman & Watt, 2006), there has not been as much empirical research aimed at uncovering the underlying relationships between paranormal belief and cognitive dissociation. In attempts to account for the positive effects of religion on human survival, McClenon (2005) recently postulated in his ritual healing theory that the mental processes of dissociation provided the missing link for explaining how the beneficial effects of paranormal beliefs came about.…”

Section: Paranormal Beliefmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissociation, Paranormal Belief, and Quality of Life in Older People

Chou

2015

Sage Open

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The measurement of religiosity in current health-related literature is mostly based on the traditional Christian belief system. It has been argued that such a measurement approach may misrepresent the true degree of religiosity in Taiwanese people. In this study, religiosity was measured in two ways: self-reported religion type and a qualitatively derived index of religious piety based on principles as suggested by Gries, Su, and Schak to be used in the Taiwanese context. Their effects on dissociation, paranormal belief, and quality of life were juxtaposed for comparison. In addition, the beneficial effect of religious piety was examined in the framework of McClenon's ritual healing theory. A total of 266 healthy older adults across Taiwan were interviewed by four trained assistants over a 4-month period. Factor scores were used to represent the dissociative tendencies (depersonalization/derealization, forgetfulness, amnesia, and psychological absorption) and paranormal belief facets (precognition, psi power, other forms of life, traditional religious belief, superstition, and telepathy). The results showed that older people of high religious piety display better quality of life profiles than their counterparts in the low religious piety group. The effects of self-reported religion type were mainly seen with paranormal beliefs compatible with their religious beliefs, whereas the effects of religious piety were more pronounced in relation to quality of life than dissociation and paranormal belief. The beneficial advantage of dissociation hypothesized by ritual healing theory did not receive empirical support in the nonclinical sample of this study.

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“…Thus, the suspension of reality testing may be integral to a broader cognitive style of the person. Motivational factors, such as a need for a sense of control over life events (Irwin, 2004), may also be important here. Thus, if a paranormal belief provides a sense of reassurance in this respect, reality testing of the belief might be suspended and the belief thereby protected against revision in the face of contrary information (Bader, 1999;Wiseman & Smith, 2002).…”

Section: Reasoning and Information Processing Bias In Delusions And Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this way, an observed event may become the basis for a paranormal belief by the individual. Irwin (2003Irwin ( , 2004 found that paranormal believers have a pattern of reality testing deficits that is characteristic of the formation of psychotic beliefssome people interpret an anomalous event as paranormal without critical testing of the logical plausibility of this belief. On such a basis, people who endorse paranormal beliefs would therefore be predicted to show some deficit in reality testing.…”

Section: Reasoning and Information Processing Bias In Delusions And Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the suspension of reality testing may be integral to a broader cognitive style of the person. Irwin (2004), using a questionnaire survey of 161 adults from the general Australian population, found that two fundamental facets of paranormal belief were predicted by reality testing deficits. Some people, when faced with anomalous experience, may jump to a paranormal interpretation without due critical testing of the logical plausibility of this belief.…”

Section: Reasoning and Information Processing Bias In Delusions And Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mental Health and the Paranormal

Dein¹

2012

IJTS

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Childhood Trauma and the Origins of Paranormal Belief: A Constructive Replication

Cited by 50 publications

References 4 publications

Varieties of childhood maltreatment as predictors of adult paranormality and New Age Orientation

Varieties of childhood maltreatment as predictors of adult paranormality and New Age Orientation

Dissociation, Paranormal Belief, and Quality of Life in Older People

Mental Health and the Paranormal

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