Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Lack of Control Breeds Superstition

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 5, 2008 10:35 AM CDT

(Newser) – Superstitions and conspiracy theories all boil down to control issues, a new study says. When subjects in a University of Texas test were made to feel out of control, they saw more patterns that did not exist—whether images in a fuzzy picture or links between unconnected actions. Which is why people like investors and baseball pitchers, who rely on things outside their control, are often superstitious, NPR reports.

But the opposite is also true. Out-of-control subjects were asked to discuss something they could control—like a personal value. Right away, they no longer saw images in fuzzy pictures. “Feelings of control are so important to people that a lack of control is inherently threatening," one scientist told Newsweek.

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Guillermo Mota leaps over the first base line on Sunday, June 15, 2008, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano wipes his face in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 19, 2008. (AP Photo)

Trader Daniel Lomeli, left, watches the numbers as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday Sept. 29, 2008. (AP Photo)

Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Xavier Nady, right, and catcher Ryan Doumit sit in the dugout during baseball action in Pittsburgh, Saturday May 12, 2007. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Vitamins Boost Women's Risk of Dying

High concentration of nutrients may turn toxic: researchers

(NEWSER) - Popping too many vitamins may actually shorten your life, a new study says. Researchers looked at the supplement intake of 38,000 women, starting in their early 60s, over 19 years—and found vitamin-users had a 2.4% higher chance of dying. Multivitamins, B6, iron, zinc, copper, folic acid, and iron were linked to the slight increase in mortalities, reports My Health News Daily . More»

Early Risers Happier, Healthier

Morning people tend to be less stressed, depressed, overweight

(NEWSER) - If you're not a morning person by nature, perhaps this will convince you to lay off the snooze button: A new study finds that those who get out of bed by 6:58am, on average, do better in the workplace and have a lower chance of being depressed, stressed, or overweight. "Morning people tend to be healthier and happier as well as having lower body mass indices," says one researcher. More»

iPhone App Gauges Your Happiness

And finds that daydreaming is tied to bad moods

(NEWSER) - Turns out the all-powerful iPhone can also moonlight as your personal therapist, by way of the "Track Your Happiness" app. The app pings users at random times during the day, asking how they're feeling and what they're doing. Researchers looked at the responses of 2,250 adults and found a link between daydreaming and unhappiness: Responders said they were daydreaming almost 47% of the time, and the daydreamers were more likely to say they felt down in the dumps, Mashable reports. More»

30-Second Alzheimer's Test in the Works

Could predict risk decades before symptoms show

(NEWSER) - A new test could predict a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s decades before symptoms appear—and it only takes half a minute, the Daily Telegraph reports. A London scientist identified a group of otherwise healthy people in their 40s whose brain scans revealed tiny lesions in the memory hub, similar to those found in post-mortem exams of Alzheimer's patients. He then had these patients take a quick computer test designed to evaluate reaction times; they showed a range of reaction times, while their lesion-free peers’ reactions were either consistently fast or slow. More»

Whales Face 'Serious' Sunburn Threat

Depleted ozone may be risk for already-endangered animals

(NEWSER) - Whales off the coast of Mexico seem to be getting bad sunburns, and scientists say ozone damage may be why. To survive, whales have to spend long periods on the ocean’s surface, and without clothes, fur, or feathers, they’re basically “sunbathing naked,” the AP notes. The result: skin lesions and dead cell patterns that are linked to sun exposure, a study finds. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Lack of Control Breeds Superstition

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

study • science • research • psychology • conspiracy • mind • superstition

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Vitamins Boost Women's Risk of Dying

High concentration of nutrients may turn toxic: researchers

Early Risers Happier, Healthier

Morning people tend to be less stressed, depressed, overweight

iPhone App Gauges Your Happiness

And finds that daydreaming is tied to bad moods

30-Second Alzheimer's Test in the Works

Could predict risk decades before symptoms show

Whales Face 'Serious' Sunburn Threat

Depleted ozone may be risk for already-endangered animals

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

Lack of Control Breeds Superstition

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

study • science • research • psychology • conspiracy • mind • superstition

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Vitamins Boost Women's Risk of Dying

High concentration of nutrients may turn toxic: researchers

Early Risers Happier, Healthier

Morning people tend to be less stressed, depressed, overweight

iPhone App Gauges Your Happiness

And finds that daydreaming is tied to bad moods

30-Second Alzheimer's Test in the Works

Could predict risk decades before symptoms show

Whales Face 'Serious' Sunburn Threat

Depleted ozone may be risk for already-endangered animals

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?