Influence of Parental Attitude and Parents' Superstitiousness on Teenagers' Superstitiousness

The article addresses the empiric study of superstitious beliefs of teenagers influenced by the parent’s superstitions and parental attitudes. The population of the study included 46 adolescents aged 12- 18 and 72 parents (mothers and fathers). The following methodology was used with the teenagers: “Superstitiousness Inventory” by Abitov, “Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire” by Stoyanova, questionnaire “Teenagers about Parents” by Wasserman, Gorkova, Romontzina and projective technique “Family sociogram” by Eidemiller and Nikilskaya. Parents were studied with the use of “Superstitiousness Inventory” by Abitov, “Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire” by Stoyanova, questionnaire “Family relationships analysis” (variant for parents who have 11-21-year-old children) by Eidemiller and Yustitskis and projective technique “Family sociogram” by Eidemiller, and Nikilskaya. It was found that the way teenagers experience parental attitude and peculiarities of parental attitude influence the superstitious beliefs of adolescents: father’s hostility and phobia of loss of a child contribute to the development of pralogical perception and magic anxiety; mother’s educational inconsistency contribute to the development of magical forecasting; father’s hostility, excessiveness and insufficiency of requirements for the child and emotional rejection promote the teenagers’ propensity for going to mentalists and for paying attention to signs; father’s directivity and mother’s low directivity impact the high level of superstitiousness. It was also revealed that various components of parental superstitiousness determine superstitiousness of teenagers by 55%.

1. Abitov, I. R., & Akbirova, R. R. (2021). Development of superstitious inventory. Psikhologicheskie Issledovaniya – Psychological Studies, 14(75). https://doi.org/10.54359/ps.v14i75.145

2. Afanasiev, P. N., & Abitov, I. R. (2022). A qualitative study of superstitiousness of university students. In Proceedings of 8th International Forum on Teacher Education ‘Education, Professional Development and the Health of Teachers in the 21st century’ (pp. 23–32). Kazan: KFU.

3. Ahmed, M. A., & Oyedibu, M. O. (2022). Investigtion and scientific explanations of superstitious beliefs held by senior school science students of Oyo State, Nigeria. Perspektif Pendidikan dan Keguruan, 13(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.25299/perspektif.2022.vol13(1).8613

4. Anyaegbunam, M. C., Omonijo, D. O., & Ogunwa, C. E. (2021). Exploring the relationship between personality traits and superstitious beliefs. Journal of International Cooperation and Development, 4(1), 60–79. https://doi.org/10.36941/jicd-2021-0004

5. Berger, P., & Lukman, T. (1995). The social construction of reality. A Treatise on the Sociology of Knowledge. Medium.

6. Bicchieri, C. (2006). The grammar of society: The nature and dynamics of social norms. Cambridge University Press.

7. Boyer, P. (1994). The naturalness of religious ideas: A cognitive theory about religion. University of California Press.

8. Boyer, P., & Liénard, P. (2020). Ingredients of ‘rituals’ and their cognitive underpinnings. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375, 20190439. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0439

9. Eidemiller, E. G. (1996). Method of family diagnostics and psychotherapy. Folium.

10. Eidemiller, E. G., & Yustitskis, V. (2008). Psychology and psychotherapy of the family. Piter.

11. Foster, K. R., & Kokko, H. (2009). The evolution of superstitious and superstition-like behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1654), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0981

12. Kajiru, I., & Nyimbi, I. (2020). The impact of myths, superstition and harmful cultural beliefs against albinism in Tanzania: A human rights perspective. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal/ Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad, 23(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2020/v23i0a8793

13. Lysova, A. V. (2003). Family psychology. Izdatel'stvo Dal'nevostochnogo universiteta.

14. Mandal, F. B. (2018). Superstitions: A culturally transmitted human behavior. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 8(4), 65–69. https://doi.org/10.5923/j.ijpbs.20180804.02

15. Miniyarov, V. M. (2000). Psychology of Family Education. Diagnostic and correctional aspect. MPSU.

16. Nikolskaya, I. M., & Pushina, V. V. (2010). Family’s sociogram in psychological counselling. Textbook for doctors and psychologists. Rech.

17. Rakoczy, H., & Schmidt, M. F. (2013). The early ontogeny of social norms. Child Development Perspectives, 7(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12010

18. Scheibe, K. E., & Sarbin, T. R. (1965). Towards a theoretical conceptualization of superstition. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 16(62), 143–158.

19. Stoyanova, I. Y. (2007). Pralogical formations in norm and pathology [Abstract of Dr. Sci. Dissertation (Psychology), Tomsk State University]. Dslib.net Online Library. http://www.dslib.net/med-psixologia/pralogicheskie-obrazovanija-v-norme-i-patologii.html

20. Sysoeva, Ya. V., & Popov, E. V. (2019). Superstitions as a conservation mechanism of ancestor’s irrational experience: research in Arkhangelsk region. Pskovskij Regionologicheskij Zhurnal – Pskov Journal of Regional Studies, 2(38), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.37490/S221979310012057-5

21. Tahir, T. B., Qureshi, S. F., & Safi, T. (2018). Superstitions as behavioral control in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 38(2), 771–782.

22. Varga, A. Ya. (2009). Introduction to systemic family psychotherapy. Cogito-center.