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Believing in Magic: Psychology of Superstition [Hardcover]

Stuart A. Vyse (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 270 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc (1 April 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0195078829
  • ISBN-13: 978-0195078824
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.5 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 84,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Stuart A. Vyse
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Review


"Many books deal with irrational beliefs but have little to say about why people cling to superstitions...and what can be done to stem the rising tide of interest in pseudoscience and the paranormal. Professor Vyse has filled this vacuum with a book as entertaining as it is enlightening."--Martin Gardner


"This book can be rewritten or updated every fifteen years, I believe, since new claptrap presents itself every day. And there are always victims out there ready to surrender their common sense for a talisman...or a ritual that puts them 'in' with their peers and gives them the warm glow of being avant-garde. Meanwhile, I urge the rationalists out there to snap up this book when they see it. It may be heading for the bonfires."--James Randi, The James Randi Educational Foundation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida


"Professor Vyse presents the historical, sociocultural, and psychological basis for superstition in a clear, interesting, and even entertaining way. What easily could

Product Description

We all live in a world of uncertainty, but why do many people, who are quite sensible about other aspects of their lives, respond to this uncertainty with superstitious beliefs or actions? To answer this question, Stuart Vyse examines current behavioural research and shows that everyday superstitions are the natural result of several well-understood psychological processes. Written in a style that is both entertaining and informative, this book demonstrates how complex - even paradoxical - human behaviour can be understood through scientific investigation.
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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Science is biased. So scientists are supposed to be biased towards the evidence. This book is a good scientific examination of superstitions and magical beliefs. It also examines (as the book says) the psychology of why people believe these things. A good book for any skeptical or scientifically inclined person to read. I'd say it would be good for believers to also read but as you will know if you have dealt with their ilk, they throw out anything that disagrees with their preconceived notions.
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6 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I liked and disliked the book simultaneously. What I liked was the description of scientific experiments which show how superstitions/magical beliefs happen and are confirmed. What I disliked was the... attitude of the author about all that is 'magic'. He denies the existance of magic off hand. He does not even consider the possibility that some of it may be true. For a really good scientific book I would have expected the author to give a fair chance to both sides. But he did not bother to look at the different viewpoint... Given that the title of the book is 'Believing in Magic' I would have expected that believers would at least receive fair treatment.
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Amazon.com:  10 reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Typing With My Lucky Toothbrush At My Side 16 Mar 2002
By Robert Derenthal - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've found that my best days have been the ones on which I brushed my teeth. Then again my worst days have occurred after brushing my teeth. Why do I only remember the positive connections? Author Vyse has written an interesting treatise on superstitious people: their types, upbringing, and thinking.

Certain social and occupational groups tend to be particularly superstitious: athletes, sailors, soldiers, gamblers, miners, financial investors, and, surprisingly (to me), college students. Many students dress up or dress down for an exam; bring lucky pens; sit in a certain place; indulge in bizarre rituals like entering the exam room through a window, or not coming to the exam until finding a penny on the ground outside.

Although the author explores much research seeking the answer to the question of who is most likely to be superstitious, many of the results are not highly significant. One reason for the development of superstition is to give a person a feeling of control in situations where events are often beyond control. This is especially associated with depressed or highly anxious individuals, and those who are deficient in critical thinking.

Included is a very important chapter on coincidence, probability, and contiguity. Was an event a coincidence, a supernatural happening or simple proof of the laws of probability? If two events happen in immediate succession was this a coincidence or a case of cause and effect? The author, in conclusion, deplores the fact that critical thinking is not taught in schools. As a result skeptics (like myself) are derided while non-rational beliefs such as New Age thinking are often considered to be the in thing.

The beauty of this book is that it can be informative to those with psychology backgrounds, and to the general reader. It's easy reading, entertaining, and sure to increase your knowledge of superstitious behavior. Highly recommended reading.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Superb! 16 Jun 1998
By Leon Keylin - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
With out a doubt, one of the best books on the topic of beliefs. Mr. Vyse goes through superstition and how psychologically it makes sense in many of the instances. He goes in to the risk/sacrifice factor and applies it well here. From superstition to religion, from habits to rituals, from black cats to Wade Boggs and his chicken ritual.

From research with kids to research with College students, Mr. Vyse makes this a fun read. You do not need to be a Behavior Psychologist to understand this book. As a matter of fact, this was written for the rest of us. It's a fast read, and goes in to so many (relative) areas that you are lost within his book and before you know it at the end of it.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Great!!! 27 Dec 1998
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
A great book for everyone on this topic. It covers many aspects of superstition. It's well organized and easy to read. Although the Coda is author's personal feeling, it explains how a non-superstitious person think and feel very well.

More technical detail in psychological aspects can be found in "The Psychology of Judgement and Decision Making" by Scott Plous. A combination reading of these two books will give you a complete and deep understanding.

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