Anna Boers, Angelina Jimenez, Faye Shemper, Savannah Sclafani
Many people today practice and believe in superstitions, even if they are aware they lack logical reasoning and scientific evidence. This is because superstitions offer a sense of security and control in otherwise unpredictable and uncertain situations. Knocking on wood or wearing lucky socks during a sports game can give us a much needed boost of confidence, so most people accept superstitions rather than question the reasoning behind them.
The purpose of our research was to study the effects of superstitious belief on both performance and mental health, with a focus on the impacts on confidence, anxiety, and diagnosed mental health disorders including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
For this project, we conducted our own survey on college students and asked them a variety of questions regarding their beliefs in superstitions. Based on the results, we conclude that superstitious beliefs generally have a positive effect on perceived performance and mental health of college students. Survey participants reported that failing to carry out a superstition generally has minimal to no effect, likely because their beliefs are not deeply religious, nor are they obsessive in nature (potentially characteristic of OCD or other mental health disorders). Rather, many indicated that they participate in superstitions because it’s tradition, a force of habit, or they “might as well not risk it”. Outside sources caution that while superstitious beliefs may align with thought patterns of those with OCD, they are in no way causal of mental health disorders, and it’s important that we keep a distinction between the two.
Other studies conducted in this area suggest that superstitious belief is more likely to have positive effects on perceived performance and mental health than to cause any negative effects on mental health (i.e. increasing predisposition to or exacerbating a mental health disorder). These studies also suggest that it is more likely that persistent engagement with superstitions will contribute to the onset of a mental health disorder (i.e. OCD or GAD) than to serious impairment to performance in the absence of a mental health disorder (or already existing predisposition).
Hopefully *knock on wood* superstitions are helpful for you given the array of potential positive effects! But because the effects are usually dependent on the individual and the extent of their beliefs, if superstitions are just not your thing or give you more anxiety than a sense of control, feel free to ignore them and do what works for you babes!
