Worksheet for an Abnormal Psych Class

Psyc 216

2 /19 /08

Detecting Superstitions and Habits in Everyday Life

Video : Bill

How is the football player 's superstitious behavior similar to Bill 's compulsions ? How is it different

Identifying and Responding to Our Own Superstitions

List the superstitious behaviors and repetitive habits that have found yourself participating in

I wear my lucky shirt whenever I take an examination

I find it bad luck to have a cat cross my path

I believe that sleeping with my hair wet makes me go blind

I bring my

favorite pillow when traveling as it helps me sleep

Where and when do you think you first learned the behaviors that you identified

I probably learned it from my family , except for wearing my lucky shirt My mom always used to warn us against cats crossing our path or things like walking under a ladder . She also admonished us when I took showers before going to sleep as it would cause blindness . With the lucky shirt I discovered that when I wore the shirt , I always had good scores on the exam

When do you engage in the superstitious behaviors or repetitive habits Do certain situations trigger the behaviors

I find that when an important exam is announced , I always make it a point to wear my lucky shirt . For me , it 's about being prepared and maybe because I am frightened of the test and I don 't think I am very good at the subject that I need a little luck to get me through . For the other superstitious behaviors , it occurs infrequently , but I do avoid cats , I don 't sleep when my hair is still wet and f I do travel I bring the pillow

How much time do you typically spend engaging in these behaviors or habits

Not much really , it is not everyday that I have exams , it is also very infrequent that I get to travel . And at the moment , it has been a way of life for me not to sleep when my hair is still wet

List the superstitious behaviors and repetitive habits that you detected in others around you

Throwing salt to ward of bad luck

Making the sign of the cross every time he /she throws the bowling ball

Having a rabbit 's tail in her pouch for good luck

Would choosing not to participate in the superstitious behaviors and repetitive habits for a day be easy or difficult for you

It would be easy for me because as I said it does not happen very frequently for me

Do you have any real desire or need to eliminate the superstitious behaviors or repetitive habits from your life ? Do they , in fact , add some degrees of stimulation , fun , or variety to your life

Well , not really . I am not encumbered by my superstitious beliefs although some people might be irritated at my insistence that I do not sleep when my hair is wet , and at the sight of cats I quickly...