A meta-analytic study involving over 16,000 participants from 11 countries found that individuals with stronger core knowledge confusions are more likely to believe in the paranormal. The association was particularly pronounced among participants from Finland. The research was published in Personality and Individual Differences.
The concept of core knowledge confusions, proposed by Lindeman and Aarnio, describes how our brains sometimes mix up different types of basic knowledge, leading to incorrect explanations. Our minds have evolved to handle specific tasks, such as understanding how objects move, recognizing living things, or interpreting why people act in certain ways. However, these natural ways of thinking can sometimes be misapplied. For instance, people might treat objects as if they are alive or believe that natural events occur due to invisible forces or spirits.
This confusion may also lead to beliefs in phenomena such as ghosts, magical powers, or other supernatural ideas. It occurs because our brains rely on intuitive shortcuts that feel correct but are not based on science or facts. Sometimes, individuals might attribute intentions or knowledge to inanimate objects, like stars, during their reasoning. Yet, when explicitly asked, they may clearly state they do not believe that stars have intentions. Some researchers propose that this happens because humans use two reasoning systems: one that is intuitive and automatic, employed for rapid decision-making, and another that is more deliberate and logical.
Study author Albina Gallyamova and her colleagues aimed to integrate findings from previously published research on the links between core knowledge confusions and belief in the paranormal. They sought to verify whether individuals with stronger core knowledge confusions are indeed more likely to hold paranormal beliefs.
The researchers searched scientific article databases for texts containing the keywords “core knowledge” or “ontological confusion” and “paranormal” or “supernatural.” This search yielded 25 results from 22 studies published between 2010 and 2024, encompassing data from 16,129 participants. The participants’ average age was 28 years, and 66% were female. The studies represented findings from 11 countries: Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Notably, 10 of the 25 results came from Finland.
The studies varied in the strength of the reported association between core knowledge confusions and belief in the paranormal. Some studies reported relatively weak associations, while others found very strong associations. However, all studies concluded that these two psychological characteristics are linked.
On average, the association between core knowledge confusions and belief in the paranormal was moderate in magnitude across all studies. When researchers focused on data from Finland, they found that the associations reported by Finnish studies were stronger than those from the rest of the group.
“Despite considerable heterogeneity and potential influences of unexamined moderators, the results suggest a universal cognitive pattern linking paranormal beliefs with certain types of ontological confusion. This meta-analysis underscores the need for further exploration into contextual variations in understanding the complex relationship between paranormal beliefs and ontological errors,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the links between core knowledge confusions and belief in the paranormal. However, it is important to note that the study design does not allow for causal conclusions to be drawn from the results.
The paper, “Paranormal beliefs and core knowledge confusions: A meta-analysis,” was authored by Albina Gallyamova, Elizaveta Komyaginskaya, and Dmitry Grigoryev.