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Selected Works of Justin L. Matthews
Article
Cognition and Belief in Paranormal Phenomena: Gestalt/Feature-Intensive Processing Theory and Tendencies Toward ADHD, Depression, and Dissociation
Journal of Psychology (2006)
  • Matthew J. Sharps
  • Justin L Matthews
  • Janet Asten
Link
Abstract
Belief in paranormal phenomena and cryptids—unknown animals such as Bigfoot—may predispose individuals to interpret real-world objects and events in the same way that eyewitness identification can be biased by unrelated information (P. James & N. Thorpe, 1999). Psychological tendencies toward attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dissociation, and depression, even at subclinical levels, may be associated systematically with particular paranormal or cryptozoological beliefs. The authors evaluated these psychological tendencies using the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (C. K. Conners, D. Erhardt, & E. Sparrow, 1999), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (L. Coleman & J. Clark, 1999), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (A. T. Beck, 1996). They performed regression analyses against beliefs in ghosts, unidentified flying objects (UFO5), extrasensory perception (ESP), astrology, and cryptids. ADHD, dissociation, and depression were associated with enhanced tendencies toward paranormal and cryptozoological beliefs, although participants who believed in each of the phenomena differed from one another in predictable and psychologically distinguishable ways. Cognitively biasing influences of preexisting psychological tendencies may predispose individuals to specific perceptual and cognitive errors during confrontation of real-world phenomena.
Keywords
  • cognitive reconfiguration,
  • gestalt/feature-intensive processing,
  • paranormal beliefs
Disciplines
Publication Date
November, 2006
DOI
10.3200/JRLP.140.6.579-590
Citation Information
Sharps, M.J., Matthews, J., & Asten, J. (2006). Cognition and belief in paranormal phenomena: Gestalt/feature-intensive processing theory and tendencies toward ADHD, depression, and dissociation. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 140, 579-590. doi:10.3200/JRLP.140.6.579-590