Revealing the Layers of Paranormal Beliefs: Latent Dimensions and Psychological Roots
September 11, 2025 Lazo Dragaš, Predrag Teovanović preprint
A new 67-item scale, the Comprehensive Paranormal Belief Scale (CPBS), was developed from 29 existing measures to better capture the breadth of paranormal beliefs. In a sample of 287 undergraduates, the scale showed excellent overall reliability and a bifactor structure: a general paranormal-belief factor plus five specific dimensions—Psychic powers, Superstition, Supernatural beings, Material divination, and Traditional religious beliefs. Psychological variables, especially psychosis proneness and experiential thinking, explained more variance in beliefs than socio-political factors, with spirituality being the strongest predictor. The findings clarify the latent structure of paranormal beliefs but require cross-cultural validation due to the homogeneous sample.