Understanding the psychology of superstition can explain why they appear to work, and therefore endure across time and culture.
Key Information
- Superstitions may appear irrational, but many carry out superstitious rituals anyway.
- Superstitions have transcended time and culture, and there are psychological reasons for this.
- Engaging in superstitious beliefs can provide a sense of control in an otherwise chaotic world.
The Lure of Superstitious Beliefs and Rituals
Superstition is a belief in mystical or supernatural causality. The idea is that specific practices, rituals, or objects can have an effect on outcomes, which is then interpreted as good or bad luck.
But is luck a real concept? Well, arguably that’s another subject for another article. But the short version for the sake of of this article, is that luck can be largely attributed to perception1, and act as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
A ball cannot be inherently lucky; how a person responds to such information, however, can definitely have an effect on their performance.
People who consider themselves lucky will be more geared towards noticing their good fortune, while those who consider themselves will be more inclined to the opposite.
In a 2010 study, golfers who were told they were using a ‘lucky’ ball, performed better than those who were not2. However, it’s worth noting here that results of similar studies have not been replicable.
Either way, according to science, a ball cannot be inherently lucky; how a person responds to such information, however, can definitely have an effect on their performance.
How can this be? Let’s take a closer look at some of the cognitive processes at play…
Psychological Mechanisms Influencing Superstitious Beliefs
The following mechanisms likely underpin and reinforce superstitious beliefs and behaviours.
Placebo Effect
The placebo effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby a person positively responds to a medicine, treatment – or, in this case, a ritual – which they believe will provide some benefit.
Each time a behaviour appears to improve outcomes, it also has the effect of reinforcing the belief of its efficacy.
While the mechanism is not entirely understood, the effects are very real3. In fact, the efficacy of placebos has changed the way results in clinical trials are evaluated – a positive outcome using a placebo is no longer considered a benchmark for the effectiveness of a drug, since it is now understood that placebos do not provide a reliable control.
Where superstitions and symbolism are concerned, the placebo effect may well be one explanation for why people use, and crucially why they continue to use, certain rituals, or attribute meaning to certain symbols. Because each time the behaviour appears to improve outcomes, it also has the effect of reinforcing the belief of its efficacy.
Confirmation Bias
As an extension of the above point, confirmation bias4 means that if a person uses a superstitious ritual or sees a ‘lucky’ symbol preceding a successful event, they will be primed to make a positive connection between the two.
Horoscopes are a superstition that many people buy into, despite the lack of empirical evidence pointing to any validity of their predictions.
An example of the confirmation bias in the context of superstition is known as the Barnum effect.
The Barnum effect, also known as the Forer effect occurs when people believe a vague and general personality description applies to them specifically, despite the fact it could apply to many different people.
Horoscopes demonstrate the Barnum effect, and are also a superstition that many people buy into, despite the lack of empirical evidence pointing to any validity of their predictions.
Why Do People Engage in Superstitious Beliefs and Rituals?
The above mechanisms go some way towards explaining the psychological processes involved in the perpetuation of superstitions and symbolism. Following are some of the underlying reasons people tend to be open to the concepts.
Coping Strategies
It might be a natural assumption that the highly educated may reject superstitions based on the lack of science supporting their efficacy. However, that is far from the case – all kinds of different people from different walks of life engage in superstitious behaviour.
One possible explanation for this is that some such people have intensely stressful occupations, potentially even holding life and death positions. For example, surgeons are known to often carry out rituals before surgery.
Superstitious practices can reduce the anxiety associated with holding such responsibility, allowing for better focus, and better performance. Speaking of which, athletes are another group who often demonstrate superstitious tendencies5.
And of course, once the ritual has ‘worked’ once, the placebo effect and confirmation bias will creep in, once again reinforcing its effectiveness.
Control
A huge component of superstitious behaviours comes down to creating an illusion of control in a world which is essentially uncertain.
Crossing fingers provides an illusion of manipulating results in our favour, by bolstering perceived self-efficacy and confidence.
Our lack of power over the unknown can feel frightening, and leaning into ritualistic practices can help us overcome the vulnerability that comes with those overwhelming feelings.
Choosing to engage in acts to which we’ve attached superstitious beliefs can be comforting and promote better outcomes, even if the mechanism is psychological rather than supernatural.
For example, crossing fingers or knocking on wood provide an illusion of manipulating results in our favour, by bolstering perceived self-efficacy and confidence6, similarly to how self affirmations work.
Social and Cultural Influence
Of course, social and cultural influence underpins enduring superstitions and symbolism. It’s our collective unspoken acceptance of them which allows them to perpetuate.
One reason many people buy into this area of influence is that sense of connection and belonging which it offers; they provide shared meaning and often become intrinsic facets of our personal and collective identity.
When considering certain superstitions which have endured for centuries and across cultures, it becomes apparent that superstitions are and will continue to be a deeply ingrained element of the collective human psyche.
Superstition and Ritualistic Behaviour vs OCD
If you’re wondering whether superstitious beliefs are problematic, the answer is that it depends.
Participating in ritualistic behaviour, whether or not based on superstitious beliefs, can have benefits, as described above. OCD on the other hand, is a pathological condition involving compulsive rituals which interfere with daily life.
Around 25 – 30% or people self-reported as superstitious in recent surveys in Britain and the US, while 1 – 4% of people are affected with OCD globally7.
This suggests that superstitious beliefs are not inherently harmful.
Interestingly, new research suggests that superstition is far more prevalent than those self-reports indicate8.
Caspi et al asked participants to disclose whether they considered themselves superstitious, and whether or not they practiced superstitious behaviours. They proposed that anyone who either reported believing or engaging in behaviours aligned with beliefs, is in fact superstitious, at least to some extent.
It’s important to note that if culture plays a part, the sample of participants (Israeli adults) may skew the results. However, the research authors disclosed that subsequent research has been carried out with other samples, including in the US, with similar results. They are currently working towards these results being published.
If the new results tell a similar story to those of the Israeli cohort, this suggests that superstitious beliefs are not inherently harmful and do not predict OCD.
So, if you consider yourself superstitious and engage in corresponding ritualistic behaviours, there’s no need to panic. Consider yourself normal, because apparently, the vast majority of us do this with no ill-effects. Just don’t expect crossing your fingers to actually bring you luck.
Sources
- Maltby, J., Day, L., Gill, P., Colley, A., & Wood, A. M. (2008). Beliefs around luck: Confirming the empirical conceptualization of beliefs around luck and the development of the Darke and Freedman beliefs around luck scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(7), 655–660. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2008.07.010.
- Damisch, L., Stoberock, B., & Mussweiler, T. (2010). Keep Your Fingers Crossed!: How Superstition Improves Performance. Psychological Science, 21(7), 1014-1020. doi: 10.1177/0956797610372631.
- Finniss DG, Kaptchuk TJ, Miller F, Benedetti F. Biological, clinical, and ethical advances of placebo effects. Lancet. 2010 Feb 20;375(9715):686-95. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61706-2. PMID: 20171404; PMCID: PMC2832199.
- Kaanders P, Sepulveda P, Folke T, Ortoleva P, De Martino B. Humans actively sample evidence to support prior beliefs. Elife. 2022 Apr 11;11:e71768. doi: 10.7554/eLife.71768. Erratum in: Elife. 2022 Jun 28;11:e81228. doi: 10.7554/eLife.71768. PMID: 35404234; PMCID: PMC9038198.
- Burger, J. M., & Lynn, A. L. (2005). Superstitious Behavior Among American and Japanese Professional Baseball Players. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 27(1), 71–76. doi: 10.1207/s15324834basp2701_7.
- Damisch, L., Stoberock, B., & Mussweiler, T. (2010). Keep Your Fingers Crossed!: How Superstition Improves Performance. Psychological Science, 21(7), 1014-1020. doi: 10.1177/0956797610372631.
- Prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Caspi, A., Shmuel, E., & Chajut, E. (2024). A quantitative examination of half-belief in superstition. Journal of Individual Differences, 45(1), 16–31. doi: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000401.