Animistic thinking in adults: The memorial service for dolls as a voluntary loss

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to develop an animism scale for adults and to examine the relationship between animistic thinking and the "memorial service for dolls" in terms of voluntary loss. In this study, animism was defined as the tendency to regard inanimate objects as living, and to regard objects in nature as gods. Questionnaires were given to 395 people who had held a memorial service for dolls and 204 people who had not. The results of the factor analysis indicated that this animism scale consisted of three factors: the apotheosis of natural products, the parts of possessors, and the anthropomorphication of possessions. Animism was more prevalent in the following groups of individuals: a) those who held a memorial service for dolls, b) female individuals, and c) younger individuals, that is, individuals aged 39 and under. The third result in particular was discussed in terms of the influences of video games and the media rather than the traditional Japanese polytheistic religion of Shinto. Furthermore, participants were asked about psychological changes after they finished holding a memorial service for dolls. As a result, some people who held a memorial service for dolls felt grief and guilt, although they voluntarily parted with their dolls.