The Relationship Between Exposure to Pseudoscientific Television Programmes and Pseudoscientific Beliefs among Taiwanese University Students

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between exposure to pseudoscientific television (TV) programmes and pseudoscientific beliefs among Taiwanese university students. The ‘scale of attitude toward pseudoscience’ instrument was used to measure the attitudes of 380 Taiwanese university students who served as subjects for the study. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression for quantitative analysis. The results showed exposure to pseudoscientific TV programmes was the predictive factor for pseudoscientific beliefs among university students. Non-science students expressed more favorable attitudes toward pseudoscientific beliefs than science students. Majoring in science had a moderating effect on the relationship between exposure to pseudoscientific TV programmes and pseudoscientific beliefs. Finally, some suggestions are proposed for how future scientific instruction could counteract pseudoscientific beliefs among students.

Keywords:

• Majoring in science
• Paranormal
• Pseudoscience
• Scientific literacy
• Television exposure

Acknowledgments

The work reported here was supported by Taiwan's National Science Council under grant No. NSC 99-2511-S-110-007-MY2. The authors also greatly appreciate the valuable comments of the reviewers and those who made this paper possible.