Microsoft Word Complete article [10] versie e-thesis[1]. doc

 

19 

and the previous research that has been detailed, the following hypothesises 

will be tested: 

 

Hypothesis 1 

•

 

There will be some relationship between paranormal beliefs and 

religious beliefs. 

 

Hypothesis 2 

•

 

Women will show greater global paranormal belief than men. 

 

Hypothesis 3 

•

 

The personality factors expected to correlate with paranormal belief are 

Neuroticism and Extraversion. 

 

Hypothesis 4 

•

 

The personality factors expected to correlate with religiosity are 

Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (Psychoticism in the three factor 

model). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. METHOD 

 

 2.1. DESIGN 

 

The study was a repeated measurements design, which used the 

questionnaire survey method.  The independent variable was the 

participant’s beliefs (paranormal or religious) while the dependent variable 

was the participant’s scores on the scales of paranormal beliefs, religious 

beliefs and personality factors. 

---

 

20 

 

2.2. PARTICIPANTS 

 

An opportunity sample of 69 participants was selected and completed the 

questionnaire, the majority of which were undergraduate psychology 

students from Manchester Metropolitan University.  Participants ranged in 

age from 18 to 56 years (M = 27.83, S. D. = 10.88).  The ratio of males to 

females was 31:69 (or 20 males to 45 females).  Participants who had three 

or more missing values on either the paranormal belief scale (RPBS), the 

religiosity beliefs scale (PCBS) or the personality scales were excluded from 

further analyses.  In total, four of the participants questionnaire results had 

to be removed leaving N = 65. 

 

2.3 MATERIALS 

 

The constructs of paranormal belief, religious belief and personality were 

assessed by the following procedures: 

 

2.3.1 PARANORMAL BELIEF SCALE 

 

The revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS) by Tobayck (1988, 1991) is a 

26 item self-report scale, which measures the following seven forms of 

paranormal beliefs: traditional religious belief, psi belief, witchcraft, 

superstition, spiritualism, extraordinary life forms and precognition. 

 

Responses to each item are scored on a seven-point Likert scale with a 

higher rating indicating stronger endorsement.  Tobayck and Milford (1983) 

reported satisfactory reliability and validity using the original form of the 

PBS.  The test-retest-reliability for the subscales was improved in the 

revision, but the internal consistency of the revised PBS was not reported 

(Tobayck, 1991).  See Appendix 1 for the complete set of questions 

 

2.3.2 RELIGIOUS BELIEF SCALE 

 

---

 

21 

The Post-Critical Belief scale

4

 (PCBS) was used to measure the religiosity 

of participants (Duriez et al., 2000).  The scale consists of 33 items, 

providing measurements of Orthodoxy (e.g. ‘Only a priest can give an 

answer to important religious questions’), External Critique (e.g. ‘In the end, 

faith is nothing more than a safety net for human fears’), Relativism (e.g. 

‘Secular and religious conceptions of the world give valuable answers to 

important questions about life’) and Second Naiveté (e.g. ‘The Bible holds a 

deeper truth which can only be revealed by personal reflection’).  Fontaine 

et al. (2003) have found that this scale also provides measurements of the 

basic religiosity dimensions that Wulff (1991, 1997) identified.  Hence, in 

this way the effects of being religious or not (Exclusion vs. Inclusion of 

Transcendence) can be separated from the way in which religious contents 

are processed (either in a literal or symbolic manner).  The items were 

scored on a seven point Likert scale.  Also, the validity of the PCBS 

construct has been tested. Duriez, Fontaine and Hutsebaut (2000) stated that 

it provides accurate measurements of Wulff’s four approaches to religion.  

Finally, a high score on Exclusion vs. Inclusion of Transcendence indicates 

a tendency to include transcendence.  A high score on Literal vs. Symbolic 

indicates a tendency to deal with religion in a symbolic way.  

 

2.3.3 PERSONALITY SCALE 

 

A 50 question version of the NEO-PI-R, based upon the Five Factor Model 

(FFM), was used in this study and this instrument is backed by a 

considerable amount of literature (for a review see Costa and McRae, 1992) 

showing good evidence for validity and reliability.  The questionnaire 

statements are marked on a seven point scale, again with higher scores 

indicating stronger endorsement.  The five scales that are measured include 

                                                 

4

 The PCBS was originally administered in Dutch but has since been translated into 

English.  The translation was done according to the guidelines of the International Test 

Commission (Hambleton, 1994), using the back-translation procedure (Brislin, 1980).  

Differences between the back-translated and the original version were minimal.  A 

committee of bilingual research assistants decided on the final English version (Van de 

Vijver and Lueng, 1997). 

---