The attitude and behavior toward superstitions and proverbs

Abstract

Two hypotheses were developed: 1) People who have experienced many misfortunes and calamities believe in superstitions and proverbs and often practise them as compared to those with few or no such experience; and 2) university students' attitude and behavior toward supersitions and proverbs are related to those of their parents. One hundred and three students and their 103 parents (father or mother) were asked to indicate: 1) their attitude and practice regarding each of 42 superstitions and proverbs; 2) past visits to fortune tellers and exorcism rites; and 3) past experience of misfortunes and calamities. People with experience of misfortunes and calamities had a higher ratio than those without such experience only in “visits to fortune tellers and exorcism rites.” There was no such trend in the 42 superstitions and proverbs. There was a close parent-child relation in the attitude toward superstitions. A similar relation was observed in superstitious practice in family life. However, no parent-child relationship was found for the proverb-related attitude and behavior. © 1988, The Japanese Psychological Association. All rights reserved.