The Structure of Paranormal Beliefs Among Australian Psychology Students

ABSTRACT

A 46-item paranormal belief questionnaire was given to 836 Australian psychology students. Paranormal items, derived from the popular media, were rated on a 5-point strength of evidence scale. Responses to the questionnaire were correlated and subjected to a principle axis factor analysis, followed by orthogonal and oblique rotation. A seven-factor Obliquely rotated solution, accounting for 38.49% of the variance, was chosen as most interpretable. The seven factor were identified as popular science, obscure unbelief, traditional religion, alternative treatments, paratherapies, functional psi, and structural psi. Results thus provide support for the multidimensional structure of paranormal beliefs.