A study of sociological factors of superstitions

The current paper draws on a study conducted about reasons of inclination to superstition and its related factors among citizens in Hamadan city, in Iran. The instrument used to gather data for this research was a questionnaire, which collected data from among 321 Hamadanian citizens via a clustering multistage sampling technique. The major findings of this study (racial group) were: women are more superstitious than men. As one grows older, the sense of inequality, alienation from the self and inclination to superstition increases. People who are involved in metal jobs and those who speak Persian language (Fars) are less inclined to superstitions; farmers, those involved in agricultural jobs and those who speak Kurdish and Lorish languages are more inclined to superstitious beliefs. As the education level, income, knowledge, rational action, sense of security and the life satisfaction increase, the tendency for superstitions decreases. In multivariate regression analysis, in order to specify an equation through which one can predict the superstition phenomenon, education, rational action, and isolation, sense of security and meaninglessness factors were sign. This equation accounted for 30% of variance In superstitious beliefs as measured in this study.