Summary and Conclusion

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Emma Bates
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1 Summary and Conclusion Every human culture has developed its own forms of soothsaying. There are hundreds of techniques for divination (fortune telling), many dating back to before recorded history. Evidence indicates that forms of fortune-telling were practiced in ancient China, Egypt, Chaldea, and Babylonia as long ago as 4000 BC. Prophetic dreams and oracular utterances played an important part in ancient religion and medicine. Predictive methods of fortune-telling include astrology (interpretation of the movements of heavenly bodies as influences on earthly events), numerology, and the utilization of objects such as playing cards, tea leaves, crystal balls, dice, fire, water, and scattered salt. Fortune-telling as a process of character analysis can take such forms as graphology (study of handwriting), physiognomy (study of facial characteristics), phrenology (study of contours on the skull), and palmistry (study of lines on the palm of the hand) (Braha, 1986). The most popular method in fortune telling is Astrology. Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world. Many cultures have attached importance to astronomical events, and the Indians, Chinese, and Mayans developed elaborate systems for predicting terrestrial events from celestial observations. Academic and scientific communities consider astrology as a Pseudoscience. Some scientific testing of astrology has been conducted, and no evidence has been found to support any of the premises or purported effects outlined in astrological traditions. Furthermore, there is no proposed mechanism of action by which the positions and motions of stars and planets could affect 188

2 people and events on Earth that does not contradict well understood, basic aspects of Biology and physics. But different studies including the classic study about Forer effect by Bertram R Forer (1949) shows that psychological factors can create the illusion that baseless predictions become seems like true. This Explanatory research attempts to find out different factors of perception in fortune telling and scientific fact behind these predictions. 5.1 OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH 1. To find out the relationship between astrology predictions in newspapers and the perception of life events 2. To find out the relationship between moon sign predictions and the perception of life events 3. To find out which reading seem to be better in personal experience among Barnum statements and moon sign predictions 4. To find out the number and percentage of Psychological techniques used in different fortune telling systems 5.2 HYPOTHESES 1. There will be no relationship between astrology predictions in newspapers and the perception of life events. 2. There will be no relationship between moon sign predictions and the perception of life events 3. Barnum statements will seem to be better than moon sign predictions in personal experience 189

3 5.3 FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY 1. There is no relationship between astrology predictions in newspapers and the perception of life events. 2. There is no relationship between moon sign predictions and the perception of life events. 3. Barnum statements are seemed to be better than moon sign predictions in personal experience. 5.4 TENABILITY OF HYPOTHESES 1. There will be no relationship between astrology predictions in newspapers and the perception of life events. The results showed that there is no relationship between astrology predictions in newspapers and the perception of life events. The null hypothesis failed to reject. 2. There will be no relationship between moon sign predictions and the perception of life events. The result showed that there is no relationship between moon sign predictions and the perception of life events. The null hypothesis failed to reject. 190

4 3. Barnum statements will seem to be better than moon sign predictions in personal experience. The result showed that Barnum statements are seem to be better than moon sign predictions in personal experience. The alternative hypothesis accepted. 5.5 Findings of content analysis for each reading 1. The most used technique in each reading from content 1-8 are pseudoscientific words, Fine flattery, Direct question, Barnum statements, Fine flattery, Fuzzy fact, Redefining and correction, and Rainbow ruse respectively. 2. The number and percentage of general statements in each reading from content 1-8 are 32 (79 percentage), 48 (75 percentage), 23 (77 percentage), 23 (72 percentage), 21 (92 percentage), 11 (61 percentage), 4 (40 percentage), and 6 (100 percentage) respectively. 3. The number and percentage of specific statements by observation in each reading from content 1-8 are 4 (10 percentage), 4 (6 percentage), zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, and zero respectively. 4. The number and percentage of true specific statements which are difficult to explain with reason in each reading from content 1-8 are zero (zero percentage). There were no true specific statements which are difficult to explain with reason in total content. 191

5 5. The number and percentage of completely wrong statements in each reading from content 1-8 are 1 (3 percentage), 9 (14 percentage), 3 (10 percentage), 3 (9 percentage), 1 (4 percentage), zero, 3 (30 percentage), and zero respectively. 6. The number and percentage of repeated statements with same meaning in each reading from content 1-8 are zero, zero, 1 (3 percentage), 4 (13 percentage), zero, 6 (33 percentage), 2 (20 percentage), and zero respectively. 7. The number and percentage of advice in each reading from content 1-8 are 3 (8 percentage), 3 (5 percentage), 3 (10 percentage), 2 (6 percentage), 1 (4 percentage), 1 (6 percentage), 1 (10 percentage), and zero respectively Findings of content analysis for total contents 1. The most used technique in total contents is direct question. 2. The number and percentage of general statements used in total contents are 168 and 75 respectively. 3. The number and percentage of Specific statements by observation in total contents are 8 and 4 respectively. 4. The number of True specific statements which are difficult to explain with reason in total contents is zero. The percentage is also zero. 5. The number and percentage of completely wrong statements in total contents are 20 and 9 respectively. 192

6 6. The number and percentage of repeated statements with same meaning in total contents are 13 and 6 respectively. 7. The number and percentage of advices in total contents are 14 and 6 respectively. 5.6 IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STUDY The aim of this study was to find out perceptual factors in fortune telling. But the results revealed a lot of information related with self perception. Real self and self perception is sometimes different. This study clearly shows that difference between self perception and real self. Most of the people believe that they know everything about themselves. But the results show that their evaluation about their self is biased. That s why they accepted generalized statements as their own characteristics. The major implication of this study is not in Astrology or fortunetelling, in fact in the study of self perception. Psychologists use different type of questionnaires and tests to evaluate others. When the subjects respond to the questions in those questionnaires, their self perception is reflected through their responses. If self perception is biased, the responses also will be biased. Naturally subjective validation can affect psychological tests also. This information will force us to rethink about the real validity of existing psychological tests. The findings of these studies also reveal the existence of self deception. According to Sigmund Freud, there are lots of psychological mechanism works in our subconscious level. Sometimes human beings deceive themselves. This research shows how the subjects deceive themselves by confirmation bias, subjective validation and self fulfilling 193

7 prophesies etc. Revealing self deception may be one of the best implications of this study. This research provides new methods to study the errors in perception. Comparatively it is a new area of study. There are no prominent studies conducted in India on Anomalistic Psychology, especially about Astrology and other fortune telling systems. This is the first study all over the world, which used content analysis to understand the fortune telling in a live situation. It also provides easy methods to study about any prediction based on zodiac or moon signs. These studies reveal a lot of verbal techniques used by fortune tellers in their trade. Most of the people including scientists, politicians, bureaucrats, film actors etc believe in the claims of fortune tellers without solid evidence. Fortune tellers misuse those beliefs also. The purpose of this study is to give scientific knowledge to the general public and society about the psychological factors of fortune telling methods. Different studies conducted in this research can use for educational purpose. The major role of a scientific work is to unveil the mysteries of our society for eradicate irrational beliefs. 5.7 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Research is a continuous process. No study is a complete one. This study also couldn t cover all variables related with fortune telling. The investigator couldn t study all fortune telling systems individually because of the time constraints. So it will be better if further research in this area cover other fortune telling systems like graphology, numerology etc. Further research can be made with more samples from different places of India. So we can learn the cultural effect in the perception of 194

8 fortune reading. It was not possible to avoid the use of deception in this study. If it is possible to avoid in further research, it will be more ethical for a research. Religion is another variable may have an effect in the perception. It is not easy to generalize the effect of religion with small sample size because of the effect of confounding variable, culture. In the further study, religion and its effect in perception of fortune are also can be studied in further research with a large sample. It is generally believed that females are more interested in fortune telling than male population. It can be tested in further studies. To find out the role of age in perception of fortune telling, different age groups also can be tested. The classic study about Barnum statements and subjective validation by Forer can be repeated with believers and non believers in Astrology. So we can study the effect of belief in subjective validation. The effect of education of the subject in the perception of fortune reading is also can be consider for the further research. 195

Thursday 16 June 2016 Morning

Oxford Cambridge and RSA Thursday 16 June 2016 Morning GCSE PSYCHOLOGY B543/01 Research in Psychology *5052023496* Candidates answer on the Question Paper. OCR supplied materials: None Other materials