The Relationship Between Paranormal Beliefs, Personality, Creativity, and Death Anxiety: An Interfaculty Comparison
Özlem Olguner Eker, Selda Yavuz, Akif Asdemir, Ertuğrul Eşel
Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi August 25, 2026 DOI: 10.34108/eujhs.1824484 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 200 |
| Population | University students aged 18–30 at Erciyes University, 100 from the Faculty of Medicine and 100 from the Faculty of Theology |
| Measures | Paranormal Belief Scale, short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Controlled Word Association Test, Death Anxiety Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | Medical students reported significantly higher paranormal belief scores than theology students. Among medical students, age and year of study were positively associated with stronger paranormal beliefs, while theology students scored higher on the verbal association test. Death anxiety correlated positively with neuroticism and psychoticism. |
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the levels of paranormal beliefs among university students in relation to personality traits, death anxiety, and creativity, and to examine how these beliefs differ between students from different academic disciplines, namely Medicine and Theology. A total of 200 students aged 18–30 years (100 from the Faculty of Medicine and 100 from the Faculty of Theology) at Erciyes University were included. Participants completed the Paranormal Belief Scale, the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Controlled Word Association Test, and the Death Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 through group comparisons and correlation analyses. The findings revealed that medical students had significantly higher paranormal belief scores than theology students (p < 0.001). Among medical students, both age and year of study were positively associated with higher levels of paranormal beliefs, while theology students achieved higher scores on the verbal association test. A positive correlation was also observed between death anxiety and both neuroticism and psychoticism. Overall, the results indicate that paranormal beliefs are closely associated with individuals’ education, personality traits, and cognitive processes. The educational content offered by different academic disciplines may shape students’ approaches toward irrational beliefs. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to further elucidate these relationships.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
| 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. Adults who used 5-MeO-DMT in a group setting with structured procedures | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 362 |