PERM UNIVERSITY HERALD. SERIES “PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. SOCIOLOGY”

VESTNIK PERMSKOGO UNIVERSITETA. SERIYA FILOSOFIA PSIKHOLOGIYA SOTSIOLOGIYA

Russian version of the article

DOI: 10.17072/2078-7898/2016-3-107-114

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF SUPERSTITIOUSNESS
AMONG THE YOUTH

Andryushkova Nadezhda Petrovna
Ph.D. Student of the Department of Psychology

Donetsk National University,
24, Universitetskaya str., Donetsk, 83001, Ukraine;
e-mail: andruchkova@rambler.ru

The article analyzes the phenomenon of superstition. The basic approach of studying superstition and different views on its nature in psychological concepts are described. There is an attempt of comparison of the socio-psychological phenomenon of superstition and superstitiousness as psychological feature. Relevance of the topic due to increased economic and social instability, and therefore the people have increased tendency to superstitious-ritual activity that is characteristic of superstition , which can be defined as a property of the individual, determines the faith in the supernatural , and the inexplicable .This is typical for all including youth. A study with 100 students of various specialties, from age 18 to 22 years, which by means of a specially developed questionnaire were divided into three groups-high, medium and low levels of superstition. The article presents the results of a study which compared the psychological characteristics of the individual and their relationship to the level. The article speculates about the factors and mechanisms that can affect the level of superstition superstitious in this age group.

Keywords: superstition, anxiety, defense mechanism, thinking, religiosity.

References

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  2. Saenko Yu.V. [Psychological aspects of superstitions studying]. Voprosy psikhologii [Issues on psychology]. 2006, no. 6, pp. 85–96. (In Russian).
  3. Stefanenko T.G. Etnopsikhologiya [Ethnopsychology]. Moscow, Aspekt Press Publ., 2003, 368 p. (In Russian).
  4. Bleak J.L., Frederick C.M. Superstitious behavior insport: Levels of effectiveness and determinats of use in three collegiats.Journal of sport behavior. 1998, no. 21, pp. 1–15. (In English).

The date of the manuscript receipt 16.03.2016

Please cite this article in English as:

Andryushkova N.P. Psychological factors of superstitiousness among the youth // Perm University Herald. Series «Philosophy. Psychology. Sociology». 2016. Iss.3(27). P.107–114. doi: 10.17072/2078-7898/2016-3-107-114