Francis, Leslie J. and Williams, Emyr. (2009) Contacting the spirits of the dead: paranormal belief and the teenage worldview. Journal of Research on Christian Education, Vol.18 (No.1). pp. 20-35. ISSN 1065-6219

PDF WRAP_Francis_0673558-ie-170210-contacting_the_spirits1.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader Download (234Kb)

Abstract

A number of previous studies have examined both the overall level of belief expressed by young people in the paranormal and the major demographic predictors of such belief. Building on this research tradition, the present study examines how one specific paranormal belief concerning contact with the spirits of the dead integrates with the wider teenage worldview. Data provided by 33,982 pupils age 13 to 15 years throughout England and Wales demonstrated that almost one in three young people (31%) believed that it is possible to contact the spirits of the dead. Compared with young people who did not share this belief, the young people who believed in the possibility of contacting the spirits of the dead displayed lower psychological wellbeing, higher anxiety, greater isolation, greater alienation, less positive social attitudes, and less socially conforming lifestyles. Overall, paranormal beliefs seem to be associated with a less healthy worldview, in both personal and social terms.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Spiritualism -- Great Britain, Teenagers -- Religious life -- Great Britain, Adolescent psychology, Interpersonal relations in young adults -- Great Britain
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Research on Christian Education
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	1065-6219
Date:	January 2009
Volume:	Vol.18
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 20-35
Identification Number:	10.1080/10656210902751818
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
References:	Bibby, R.W. (2001), Canada’s youth: today, yesterday and tomorrow, Toronto, Stoddart. Boyd A. (1996), Dangerous Obsessions: teenagers and the occult, London, Marshall Pickering. Eysenck, H.J. and Eysenck, S.B.G. (1991), Manual of the Eysenck Personality Scales (EPS Adult), London, Hodder and Stoughton. Francis, L.J. (2001), The Values Debate, London, Woburn Press. Francis L.J. and Kay, W.K. (1995), Teenage Religion and Values, Leominster, Gracewing. Francis, L.J., Robbins, M. and Williams, E. (2006), Believing and implicit religion beyond the churches: religion, superstition, luck and fear among 13-15 year old girls in Wales, Implicit Religion, 9, 74-89. Francis, L.J. and Williams, E. (2007), Drawing back the veil: paranormal belief among adolescents, Christian Parapsychologist, 17, 170-185. Kinnaman, D. (2006), Teens and the Supernatural, California, The Barna Group. Lester, D. (1993), Paranormal beliefs and psychoticism, Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 739. Quesnell, M.D. (2000), An analysis of selected beliefs and values among Czech 14- and 15-year-old public school students, Unpublished PhD dissertation, Trinity College, University of Wales. Sjödin, U. (2002), The Swedes and the paranormal, Journal of Contemporary Religion, 17, 75-85. Smith, A.G.C. (2002), The nature and significance of religion among adolescents in the metropolitan borough of Walsall, Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Wales, Bangor. Smith, C. (2005), Soul Searching: the religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers, New York, Oxford University Press. Thompson, P.N. (2004), The Religious Beliefs of Young People (in light of the New Age Movement), Unpublished M.Phil dissertation, University of Wales, Bangor. Willging, B.T. and Lester, D (1997), Paranormal beliefs and personality scores of high school students, Perceptual and Motor Skills, 85, 938. Williams, E., Francis, L.J. and Robbins, M. (2007), Personality and paranormal belief: a study among adolescents, Pastoral Psychology, 56, 9-14. Wiseman, R. and Watt, C. (2004), Measuring superstitious belief: why lucky charms matter.
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/2878

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item