what’s so special?. hong kong university undergraduates’ perceived validity of sun sign...

What’s so special?What’s so special?

身體星座彩繪

Hong Kong University Undergraduates’ Perceived Validity

of Sun Sign Personality & Belief in Astrology

Victoria Hui

Vincent Lam

Ambony Wong

• Introduction

• Design

• Result

• Contrast with Previous Studies

• Discussion

• Interview

• Implication

• Q & A Session

Outline:Outline:

Introduction …Introduction …

Stonehenge, near Salisbury, England

ArchaeoastronomyArchaeoastronomy

- - StonehengeStonehenge - -Temple of the Sun & MoonTemple of the Sun & Moon

PredictsEclipses of the Sun and Moon

希特勒曾召開希特勒曾召開““預言家大會”預言家大會”2003 年 5 月 16 日滾動新聞

曾不聽占星預言而政變慘敗 1938 年召開 “瓦爾特堡預言家大會” 德國即將戰敗的預言不中聽 , 怒將大師關進集中營

斯科拉里找占星士選巴西國腳斯科拉里找占星士選巴西國腳

2001 年 11 月 7 日大紀元新聞

• 自己掏錢請占星人挑選合適的巴西國家隊成員

• 被刊登自己開給兩位占星人的1000 美元支票

諾貝爾奬物理學家轉行占星諾貝爾奬物理學家轉行占星

2002 年 10 月 7 日太陽報

夏帕克 ( 諾貝爾物理學獎得主 ) 與布羅克 ( 法國尼斯大學自然學研究單位主任 )合著《變成巫師和智者》

夏帕克強調絕非導人迷信，反而是企圖應用或然率拆穿種種神祕主義的面紗

Objective OneObjective One

What are the internal and external factors that are related

to people’s belief in astrology?

DesignDesign

Participants:

• 100 CUHK undergraduates

• 45 males and 55 females

DesignDesign

Materials• Locus of

Control Scale (Rotter, 1966)

• Belief in Astrology Questionnaire

Result (1):Result (1):

• Method: Correlation

• r = .258*** (p < .001)

• Locus of control is slightly and positively related to Belief in astrology

Aquarius

ConContratrastst wiwith th PrePreviovious us StuStudidieses

• Confirmed previous findings.

E.g. Plug, C. (1975); Scheidt, R. (1973); Sosis, R. H., Strickland, B. R., & Haley, W. E. (1980); Groome, D. (2001)

• External locus of control is related

to people’s belief in astrology


Different from previous research.

• Chinese participants

DiscussionDiscussion

• External locus of control – tend to believe in astrology

• Internal locus of control – tend not to believe in astrology

Aries

DesignDesign

Materials:• Awareness of

Astrology Questionnaire (Blackmore & Seehold, 2001)


Result (Result (33))


• r = .531*** (p < .001)

• Knowledge in astrology positively related to Belief in Astrology

Libra


• Confirmed previous findings.

E.g. Eysenck, H. J. (1979); Eysenck, H. J. (1981); Pawilk, P., & Buseil, L. (1979)

• If we are more familiar with astrology, we will have a higher tendency to believe in astrology


Different from previous research.



• Exposure more - higher tendency to believe

• Believers will take the initiative to find the materials concerning the astrology Pisces

DesignDesign

Materials• Negative Life Event

and Crises Questionnaire (Lillquist & Lindeman, 1998)


Result (2)Result (2)


• r = .094 (p > .05)

• There is no significant relationship between Amount of Negative Life event and Belief in Astrology.

Cancer

• Different from Lillquist and Lindeman’s (1998) finding.

• People won’t have a higher or lower tendency to believe in astrology because of the negative life event they have experienced

ConContratrastst wiwith th PrePrevioviousus StuStudidieses

Different from previous research


ConContratrastst wiwith th PrePrevioviousus StuStudidieses

Discussion (1):Discussion (1):Depend on people’s locus

of control• Internal - Power to

change the future (Believe)

• External - Lack the power to change the future (Don’t believe)Capricorn

Discussion (1):Discussion (1):

Enforce our finding

• Locus of control +ve related to Belief in Astrology

Gemini

Newspaper Newspaper CuttingCutting

玄學嘉年華安慰失意港人 • 經濟不景，失業率高企，不少人求神問

卜。近期中西方的玄學界，便成了失意人尋求心靈慰藉的避難所。他們希望藉占卜、術數、水晶，甚至一些自然療法改變逆境。 ( 外在控制觀 )

取自 :太陽報 2003 年 3 月 3日

Discussion (2)Discussion (2)

Still young

• Have more chance to change the future

Leo

Objective 2Objective 2

Can Sun-Sign Can Sun-Sign Astrology accurately Astrology accurately

describe people’s describe people’s personality?personality?

DesignDesign

Materials • Questionnaire

• Based on The Modern Text-book of Astrology

DesignDesign

Participants

36 CUHK students

15 male

21 female

ResultResult

• Failed to confirm that Sun-sign astrology can accurately describe people’s personality

Sagittarius

ConContratrastst wiwithth PrePrevioviousus StuStudidieses

Same as previous findings• Sun-sign astrology cannot

accurately describe people’s personality

• E.g. Hume, N. (1977), Fourie, D. P. (1984); Russell, J., & Wagstaff, G. F. (1983)


Different from previous

findings

• Studied 4-Element and 3-Quality division


Newspaper CuttingNewspaper Cutting

• 據 AdAge.com 報導，目前雅虎的付費內容服務已經擁有了 50 多萬個註冊用戶，在該公司提供的 25 種線上內容服務中，占星術和虛幻足球是最受用戶歡迎的。

– 取自新浪新聞 2002 年 4 月 23 日

Newspaper CuttingNewspaper Cutting• 亞西西神學院早前召開「安

布利亞境內迷信、巫術及撒殫主義」大會，指出約一千二百萬名意大利人每年向占星術人士求問，情況令人震驚。

– 取自普世教會第 2939 期

Our results highly inconsistent Our results highly inconsistent with the popularity of with the popularity of astrological service?astrological service?

NO !NO !

DiscussionDiscussion• We only tested the

Sun-sign aspect of Astrology

• 星相專家彭喜豪指出太陽星座不過只佔了一個人個性中的百分之三十Scorpio


Other planetary

influence• The Natal Chart From: www.astro.com


• Upbringing experience also plays a role in the formation of a person’s personality

占星術很準？占星術很準？2003 年 8 月 18 日太陽報2003 年 8 月 20 日民聲時報

• 迪安 (澳洲科學家 ) 和凱利(加拿大心理學家 )

• 1958 年追蹤研究• 收集 2000 名在同年三月份某時段出世的嬰兒資料

占星術很準？占星術很準？• 迪安和凱利發現 , 這 2000 人

在一百個事項裡 ,沒有一方面是十分相似的

• 這結果證明以出生年月日時為準的占星根本不準

• 國內反應強烈• 占星界極度不滿 ,更反駁這項研

究太簡單和未能全面分析資料

Objective 3Objective 3

What make people perceive astrology What make people perceive astrology can accurately describe people’s can accurately describe people’s

personality?personality?

Design:Design:

Materials• Personality

description questionnaire

–With sun sign labels

–Without sun sign labels (“I am”)

Design:Design:Participants:• 100 CUHK

undergraduates

• 36 people without sun sign labels

• 64 people with sun sign labels

Result:Result:• Method: ANCOVA• After controlling the

influence of people’s knowledge and belief in astrology,

12 sun sign division• F(1,96) = 7.908, p < .006• F(1,95) = 3.892, p < .051 Taurus

ResultResult

• Only under 12 sun sign division, does the presence of sun sign labels lead people to perceive that astrology can accurately describe their sun sign personality.Virgo


Same as previous findings

• The effect of giving the sun sign labels is supported.

E.g. Snyder, C. R. (1974); Silverman, B. I. (1971); Van Rooij, J. J. F. (1999); Fichten, C. S., & Sunerton, B. (1983)


Different from previous research


• 4 Element division

• 3 Quality division


Possibly because …

Only oneone sun sign label in each 12 sun sign personality description

4 Element Division4 Element Division

Sun sign

(based on date and month of birth)

Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)

Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)

Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)

Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)

3 Quality Division3 Quality Division

Sun sign

(based on date and month of birth)

Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)

Fixed (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius)

Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)

DiscussionDiscussion• But twotwo and threethree sun sign labels in

each 4 Element and 3 Quality personality description respectively.

Refer to Snyder, C. R., Shenkel, R. J., Lowery, C. R. (1977)

NotNot speciallyspeciallyDerived for youDerived for you

InterviewInterview (1) (1)

Name: Mr. Mok

Title: Pastor of the Grace

Evangelical Church

From: Christian point of view

Mr. Mok (Pastor)Mr. Mok (Pastor)

Standpoint: Doesn’t BelieveReason:

–He is a Christian

–No scientific backup

Mr. Mok (Pastor)Mr. Mok (Pastor)

• People who have high education still have emotional and spiritual needs that make them purse unscientific matters.

InterviewInterview (2) (2)

Name: Professor Susan Ho

Title: Professor of School of Pharmacy

From: Scientific point of view

Professor Ho (Pharmacy)Professor Ho (Pharmacy)

Standpoint: Doesn’t BelieveReason: She is a Christian

Professor Ho Professor Ho (Pharmacy)(Pharmacy)

• Cultural + Age factor (older generation believe in Chinese Astrology instead)

• People selectively believe in astrological descriptions that are in favor to themselves.

Interview (3)Interview (3)Name: Professor Darius Chan

Title: Associate Psychology Professor

From: Psychological point of view

Professor Chan Professor Chan (Psychology)(Psychology)

Standpoint: Doesn’t believeReason:

There is no scientific backup, even worse than Fung Shui (風水 )

Professor Chan Professor Chan (Psychology)(Psychology)

• People who believe in zodiac are not highly educated and their abilities to analyze are relatively poor.

• People just take horoscope as an entertainment.

Interview (4)Interview (4)Name: Dr. Yung Chor Wing, Linda

Title: Doctor in Economics

From: Economic point of view

Dr. Yung (Economics)Dr. Yung (Economics)

Standpoint: Doesn’t believeReason: Not mentioned

Dr. Yung (Economics)Dr. Yung (Economics)

• People often confuse the causality between astrological claims and real-world phenomena

Dr. Yung (Economics)Dr. Yung (Economics)• Authors of astrology books

often use their analysis of famous people to prove their claims

• People who hate risk have a higher tendency to believe in astrology

Implication (1)Implication (1)

• Rationally analyze those claims people made about using sun sign as a way to predict people’s personality

Implication (2)

• Understand that the use of astrology to soothe one’s feelings yields only a short-term benefit. In the long run, people must face their adversities or seek help from possible source.

Implication (3)Implication (3) Further studies can investigate astrology in greater detail and recruit non-Europeans as well as non-Americans as participants.

QQ && AA SSeessssiioonn

Reference (Books):Reference (Books):

Brodeur, M. G., & Lenard, L. (2000). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Astrology (2nd Ed.). Alpha Books.

Hone, M. E. (1951). The Modern Text-Book of Astrology. London: LN Fowler & Co

Reference (web sites):Reference (web sites):

http://ericwonghk.com:9999/autumn/trip/page5.htm

http://www.aaistars.org/include/demo06.htm

http://www.sunmoon.pair.com/astro/daniel1.html#c



Reference (Literatures):Reference (Literatures):

Sosis, R. H., Strickland, B. R., & Haley, W. E. (1980). Perceived locus of control and beliefs about astrology. Journal of Social Psychology, 110, 65-71.

Groome, D. (2001). Astrology. In Roberts, R., and Groome, D. (Eds.), Parapsychology: The Science of Unusual Experience, pp.60-77. London, Arnold.

Lillqvist, O., & Lindeman, M. (1998). Belief in astrology as a strategy for self-verification and coping with negative life-events. Eurpoean Psychologist, 3(3), 202-208.

Fichten, C. S., & Sunertonn, B. (1983). Popular horoscopes and the “Barnum Effect”. Journal of Psychology, 114, 123-134.

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