The psychology of superstition has been accompanying humanity since we have consciousness. There have always been superstitious behaviors. In fact, each culture has its own. For example, in some areas of Russia breaking a piece of crockery is a good omen. It is as if each superstition had some kind of utility in day to day life.
In our culture we have several latent superstitions that act stealthily. We all know someone who points out the amount of bad luck that comes with crossing a black cat or breaking a mirror. The paradox is that, although there is no logical or scientific argument to sustain them, those people who really have these beliefs tend to condition their lives based on them. In some cases they can be small gestures of little importance, but in others they can become real chained rituals.
What is superstition?
Superstition is the belief in an association without any consensual arguments to support it. That is to say, to believe that to take a leg of rabbit in the key ring brings good luck. There is no evidence that this is the case, but some people do. More examples of superstitions:
- Make a wish by witnessing a shooting star.
- Bring a four leaf clover with you to attract good luck.
- Cross your fingers when we express a desire for it to be fulfilled.
- When getting out of bed, step on the right foot with the thought that the day will be easier.
- Attribute good luck to objects like a horseshoe.
- Woman making a wish when passing a shooting star
Normally, superstitions try to bring good luck closer or ward off bad luck. They are a (supposed) way of attracting success or frightening away failure. We think that performing these behaviors will make life easier for us and provide us with money, love or success. Although there are a series of global superstitions, each person can develop theirs.
What is the origin of superstition?
The principle that underlies the psychology of superstition is the so-called operant conditioning identified by B. F. Skinner. For this, he started working with pigeons. When these animals pressed a button inside their cage, they were given food.
With the passage of time, they "learned" that the button gave them food, so they activated it when they were hungry. Later, the system changed. In such a way that, when the pigeons performed certain movements, they received reinforcement. As a final result, they incorporated "superstitious behaviors" related to the movements with the intention of obtaining the reward.
Well, this is very similar to what happens in humans with superstitions. A person can associate a positive or negative consequence with a specific behavior. If, for example, we go to an exam with a specific shirt and we obtain a good result, it is possible that to the following exams we go with the same garment.
There are also other phenomena that favor superstition, such as self-fulfilling prophecy or confirmation bias. This bias directs people's attention to those data / events that confirm the starting hypothesis, ignoring or paying little attention to those who do not. Thus, if we believe in the superstition of the cat and that day we have crossed it, it is easy to blame that encounter of all the negative that happens to us during the day, associating the positive with other causes.
Problems of superstition
Usually superstition is not bad in itself. They are simply a set of beliefs that inhabit our mind. However, if they can become a problem when they reach certain levels:
- You can get to depend on an object or amulet to the point of not feeling safe without it.
- Superstition clouds thinking and guides it towards the belief of sciences or methods with low reliability. For example, the horoscope.
- Our performance may be affected if we have not performed certain rituals.
All this raises the levels of anxiety and diminishes confidence in our abilities. To depend on such an object or behavior underestimates the ability we have to achieve things for ourselves. It is a subtle way of taking away merit and diverting it to something that does not have it.
How to fight superstition?
The best way to fight against superstition is by using the power of our mind. Acquiring a critical attitude towards the associations that we establish and with which we operate is a good factor of protection against this type of conviction. Selective proactivity limits and refines the number of ideas that govern us, so that indirectly our freedom increases.
Exposing yourself to situations in which you may feel helpless for not wearing your amulets is a good way to mitigate the anxiety it generates. In the end, superstition is nothing more than a belief and not a law of nature. That is why it is also important to learn to control anxiety, not only for cases of superstition, but also for life in general.
By way of conclusion, it is probable that superstition - and therefore the psychology of superstition - accompanies us, as a species, forever. Its benefits can be several: how to reduce uncertainty or increase the sense of control. On the other hand, the negative part appears when it limits us or generates anxiety.
Where do superstitions come from? - Stuart Vyse
