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Risk perception and new age beliefs.
Lennart Sjöberg1, Anders af Wåhlberg
1Center for Risk Research, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden. lennart.sjoberg@hns.se
Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis
|September 13, 2002
Summary
New Age beliefs, particularly those involving higher consciousness and paranormal phenomena, significantly influence risk perception. Traditional superstition and alternative healing practices did not correlate with perceived risk in this study.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Risk Perception Studies
Background:
- New Age (NA) beliefs encompass a range of concepts, including paranormal phenomena, alternative healing, and traditional superstitions.
- Understanding the relationship between these beliefs and risk perception is crucial for public health and policy.
- Previous research has not fully explored the multifaceted nature of NA beliefs and their specific impact on how individuals perceive risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between various New Age (NA) beliefs and perceived risk.
- To identify which specific components of NA beliefs are most strongly associated with risk perception.
- To examine the role of personality, psychopathology, religious involvement, and trust in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected on NA beliefs, trust dimensions, personality, psychopathology, and religious involvement.
- Factor analysis used to identify underlying dimensions of NA beliefs.
- Regression analyses performed to determine the predictive power of NA beliefs on perceived risk.
Main Results:
- Four key factors emerged from NA beliefs: higher consciousness beliefs, denial of analytic knowledge, traditional superstition, and belief in the soul's physical reality.
- NA beliefs showed a strong positive correlation with religious involvement and a negative correlation with educational level.
- Higher consciousness beliefs and paranormal beliefs were significant predictors of perceived risk, explaining approximately 15% of the variance. Traditional superstition and healing practices did not contribute to risk perception.
Conclusions:
- Specific New Age beliefs, particularly those related to higher consciousness and the paranormal, are significant factors in shaping an individual's perception of risk.
- Educational level and religious involvement are associated with the adoption of NA beliefs.
- Future research should explore the mechanisms through which these beliefs influence risk assessment and decision-making.