The present research attempted to distinguish between traditional anomalistic belief (TAP) and pseudoscientific anomalistic belief (PSAP). In Study 1, I constructed the PSAP scale and then, to establish construct validity, examined its correlation to other measures related to TAP. In Studies 2 and 3, I examined how high and low TAP and PSAP believers differed in recalling information that either did, or did not support the existence of anomalistic phenomena. Participants read 12 abstracts on paranormal phenomena and were given T/F recall questions either immediately (Study 2) or following a four day delay period (Study 3). As expected, high and low PSAP believers had generally similar recall accuracy. However, the results for high and low TAP believers showed differences that were largely inconsistent with past research. In Study 4, I constructed a regard for science scale which was negatively associated with TAP belief, but not associated with PSAP belief. Changes to the methodology and proposals for future research are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>The present research attempted to distinguish between traditional anomalistic belief (TAP) and pseudoscientific anomalistic belief (PSAP). In Study 1, I constructed the PSAP scale and then, to establish construct validity, examined its correlation to other measures related to TAP. In Studies 2 and 3, I examined how high and low TAP and PSAP believers differed in recalling information that either did, or did not support the existence of anomalistic phenomena. Participants read 12 abstracts on paranormal phenomena and were given T/F recall questions either immediately (Study 2) or following a four day delay period (Study 3). As expected, high and low PSAP believers had generally similar recall accuracy. However, the results for high and low TAP believers showed differences that were largely inconsistent with past research. In Study 4, I constructed a regard for science scale which was negatively associated with TAP belief, but not associated with PSAP belief. Changes to the methodology and proposals for future research are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ramsey, Matthew A"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Victro Benassi"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:22:31Z","subjects":["Psychology","Social","Personality","Cognitive"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/605","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Victro Benassi"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ramsey, Matthew A"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychology","Social","Personality","Cognitive"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/605"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The present research attempted to distinguish between traditional anomalistic belief (TAP) and pseudoscientific anomalistic belief (PSAP). In Study 1, I constructed the PSAP scale and then, to establish construct validity, examined its correlation to other measures related to TAP. In Studies 2 and 3, I examined how high and low TAP and PSAP believers differed in recalling information that either did, or did not support the existence of anomalistic phenomena. Participants read 12 abstracts on paranormal phenomena and were given T/F recall questions either immediately (Study 2) or following a four day delay period (Study 3). As expected, high and low PSAP believers had generally similar recall accuracy. However, the results for high and low TAP believers showed differences that were largely inconsistent with past research. In Study 4, I constructed a regard for science scale which was negatively associated with TAP belief, but not associated with PSAP belief. Changes to the methodology and proposals for future research are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Sophisticated credulity: Are old beliefs disguised by new terminology and selective learning?"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Victro Benassi"],"dc:creator":["Ramsey, Matthew A"],"dc:description.abstract":["The present research attempted to distinguish between traditional anomalistic belief (TAP) and pseudoscientific anomalistic belief (PSAP). In Study 1, I constructed the PSAP scale and then, to establish construct validity, examined its correlation to other measures related to TAP. In Studies 2 and 3, I examined how high and low TAP and PSAP believers differed in recalling information that either did, or did not support the existence of anomalistic phenomena. Participants read 12 abstracts on paranormal phenomena and were given T/F recall questions either immediately (Study 2) or following a four day delay period (Study 3). As expected, high and low PSAP believers had generally similar recall accuracy. However, the results for high and low TAP believers showed differences that were largely inconsistent with past research. In Study 4, I constructed a regard for science scale which was negatively associated with TAP belief, but not associated with PSAP belief. Changes to the methodology and proposals for future research are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/605"],"dc:subject":["Psychology","Social","Personality","Cognitive"],"dc:title":["Sophisticated credulity: Are old beliefs disguised by new terminology and selective learning?"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:22:31Z"}