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The cognitive and personality differences of supernatural belief

2017

BIAL Foundation Archive
- BIAL Grants
  - 2014 Grants
    - 355 - Cognitive and personality differences in supernatural belief
      - The cognitive and personality differences of supernatural belief

Reference code:	PT/FB
Entity holding:	BIAL Foundation
Location:	S. Mamede do Coronado
Title:	BIAL Foundation Archive
Start date:	1994
History:	The BIAL Foundation was created in 1994 by Laboratórios BIAL in conjunction with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities. BIAL’s Foundation mission is to foster the scientific study of Man from both the physical and spiritual perspectives. Along the years the BIAL Foundation has developed an important relationship with the scientific community, first in Portugal and after worldwide. Today it is an institution of reference which aims to stimulate new researches that may help people, promote more health and contribute to new milestones to gain access to knowledge. Among its activities the BIAL Foundation manages the BIAL Award, created in 1984, one of the most important awards in the Health field in Europe. The BIAL Award rewards both the basic and the clinical research distinguishing works of major impact in medical research. The BIAL Foundation also assigns Scientific Research Scholarships for the study of neurophysiological and mental health in people, arousing the interest of researchers in the areas of Psychophysiology and Parapsychology. To date the BIAL Foundation has supported 461 projects, more than 1000 researchers, with research groups in twenty-seven countries, resulting, until April 2013, in about 600 full papers, out of which 172 published in indexed international journals with an average impact factor of 3.6 and a substantial number of citations (1665). Since 1996 the BIAL Foundation organizes the Symposia entitled "Behind and Beyond the Brain", a Forum that gathers well renowned neurosciences speakers and the BIAL Foundation Fellows which are spread around the world. Classified as an institution of public utility, the BIAL Foundation includes among its patrons the Portuguese President, the Portuguese Universities Rectors' Council and the Portuguese Medical Association.
URL:	http://www.bial.com/pt/
Accessibility:	By permission

Reference code:	PT/FB/BL
Entity holding:	BIAL Foundation
Title:	BIAL Grants
Start date:	1994
History:	In 1994 the BIAL Foundation launched a programme of science research grants with the aim of encouraging the research into Man’s physical and mental processes, namely in fields still largely unexplored but which warrant further scientific analysis, as Psychophysiology and Parapsychology. Since its launch, applications to the BIAL grants have been increasing. Up to now 461 projects have been supported, involving more than 1000 researchers from 27 countries. The approved applications have benefited from grants in amounts comprised between €5,000 and €50, 000. The amount to be granted is fixed by the Scientific board according to the needs of each project. The supported projects have originated, until April 2013, in about 600 full papers, 172 out of which were published in indexed international journals with an average impact factor of 3.6 and a substantial number of citations (1665). Among the BIAL Foundation fellows is worth highlighting the presence of scientists from prestigious universities from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, and many others. The BIAL grants are promoted biannually.

Reference code:	PT/FB/BL-2014
Location:	BF-GMS
Title:	2014 Grants
Start date:	2015-01

Reference code:	PT/FB/BL-2014-355
Location:	BF-GMS
Title:	355 - Cognitive and personality differences in supernatural belief
Duration:	2015-06 - 2017-09
Researcher(s):	Ian Scott Baker, David Sheffield, Malcolm Schofield, Paul Staples
Institution(s):	University of Derby, Derby (UK)
Abstract/Results:	Contents: Application form Correspondence Progress report Final report Articles
Language:	eng
Author:	Baker, I.
Secondary author(s):	Sheffield, D., Schofield, M., Staples, P.
Number of reproductions:	2
Keywords:	Supernatural belief / Cognitive Processes / Personality / Parapsychology

Reference code:	PT/FB/BL-2014-355.04
Location:	BF-GMS
Title:	The cognitive and personality differences of supernatural belief
Publication year:	2017
URL:	http://hdl.handle.net/10545/622047
Abstract/Results:	ABSTRACT: This thesis set out to meet the following aim and objectives: Aim: Examine cognition and personality of people who hold different types of supernatural belief. Objective 1: Create and validate a new scale to measure supernatural belief. Objective 2: Create and test a new model of supernatural belief based on cognition and personality. This would potentially test two hypotheses: the Cognitive Deficits Hypothesis and the Psychodynamics Functions Hypothesis. This was accomplished by conducting four studies. Studies one and two created and validated the new Belief in the Supernatural Scale (BitSS), a 44 item scale with the following five factors: ‘mental and psychic phenomena’, ‘religious belief’, ‘psychokinesis’, ‘supernatural entities’, and ‘common paranormal perceptions’. Cognition and personality would be looked at within the context of four different types of believer: ‘believers’, ‘paranormal believers’, ‘sceptics’ and ‘religious believers’. Study three revealed two profiles relating to cognition: ‘reflective thinkers’ and ‘intuitive believers’. The reflective profile was more likely to contain ‘sceptics’ and ‘believers’, and least likely to contain ‘paranormal believers’. The intuitive group was more likely to contain ‘religious believers’ and ‘believers’. The final study looked at personality alongside cognition and revealed ‘sensitive and abstract thinkers’ and ‘reflective metacognitive dogmatists’ profiles. The ‘sensitive and abstract thinkers’ were least likely to contain ‘sceptics’ and ‘religious believers’ and most likely to contain ‘believers’ and ‘paranormal believers’. The ‘reflective metacognitive dogmatists’ were most likely to contain ‘religious believers’ and ‘believers’ and least likely to contain ‘paranormal believers’. Following this analysis, Structural Equation Modelling was used to test seven different models of personality, cognition and belief. Studies one and two indicated a clear separation of religious and paranormal belief within the new scale, and that spiritual belief overlaps between the two. The scale developed was reliable and valid, and accurately reflected the concept of supernatural belief and enabled the measurement of religious and paranormal belief, where the overlaps were acknowledged whilst still being separate beliefs. Studies three and four found the ‘sceptics’ and ‘religious believers’ have remarkably similar profiles, indicating that the religious beliefs themselves may have been cognitively ring-fenced off in some way. The ‘paranormal believers’ however were not reflective thinkers and were not metacognitively active, indicating that they were not aware that they were not thinking critically or analytically. The Structural Equation Model showed that schizotypy was the main predictor of belief. The relationship between belief and cognition was more complex; it was dependent on what type of belief was active. Paranormal belief required a more intuitive thinking style to be present, whereas religious belief could withstand a reflective mind set. This thesis develops a new scale that measures supernatural belief provides a unique contribution to knowledge by establishing a model of cognition, personality and belief.
Accessibility:	Document does not exist in file
Language:	eng
Author:	Schofield, M. B.
Document type:	Doctoral thesis
Number of reproductions:	2
Reference:	Schofield, M. B. (2017) 'The cognitive and personality differences of supernatural belief (Doctoral thesis, University of Derby, the United Kingdom). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10545/622047
Indexed document:	No
Keywords:	Supernatural / Paranormal / Spiritual / Belief / Personality / Cognition