Development and validation of the multi-dimensional questionnaire of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs

Article

Stone, A., Mcdermott, M., Abdi, Aishi, Cornwell, Brittanie, Matyas, Zsofia, Reed, Ruby and Watt, Rebecca 2018. Development and validation of the multi-dimensional questionnaire of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs. Personality and Individual Differences. 128, pp. 146-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.024
AuthorsStone, A., Mcdermott, M., Abdi, Aishi, Cornwell, Brittanie, Matyas, Zsofia, Reed, Ruby and Watt, Rebecca
Abstract

Objective: There are several existing questionnaires measuring paranormal or scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs but none cover a broad spectrum of cognitions while also being up-to-date and unconstrained by theoretical limitations. There is also a debate about the number of separate types of belief. Thereby, reported here is the development and validation of a new multidimensional questionnaire measure of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs in the general UK population.
Method & Results. In Study 1, participants (N=393) completed a questionnaire containing a pool of 82 items covering nine facets of belief discernible conceptually within the existing research literature. Scree analysis followed by exploratory factor analysis indicated the existence of four empirically observable factors: belief in supernatural forces; belief in God and destiny; belief in alien visitation, monsters and conspiracies; and belief in consciousness beyond the body. Twenty-four items were selected as measures of these factors. Studies 2, 3 and 4 demonstrated the convergent and divergent validity of the four empirically-derived questionnaire subscales and their internal reliability.
Conclusion. The resultant new Multi-dimensional Questionnaire of Scientifically Unsubstantiated Beliefs (MQSUB) is a psychometrically robust measure and comprises a comprehensive framework which can be used to systematically investigate the psychological and social concomitants of such beliefs.

JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Journal citation128, pp. 146-156
ISSN01918869
Year2018
PublisherElsevier for International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID)
Accepted author manuscript
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.024
Web address (URL)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.024
Publication dates
Online28 Feb 2018
Publication process dates
Deposited05 Mar 2018
Accepted13 Feb 2018
Accepted13 Feb 2018
Copyright informationAvailable on ROAR are the Pre-Print and Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Elsevier. The version of record can be found at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.024
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