TY - JOUR
T1 - The phenomena and dynamism of magical thinking
T2 - Developing a magical thinking scale
AU - Nakama, Reiko
AU - Oshio, Atsushi
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The purpose of this study is to examine the concept of "magical thinking". "Magical Thinking Followers" are persons who believe in the effect of thinking. This research will contrast magical thinking to the ideas of positive psychology, construct the scale to measure it and investigate its benefits and pitfalls. With the aid of three surveys comprising data of 306 and 382 Japanese undergraduate students, a scale was developed. The scale was made of two factors: "a positive set of thinking and results," and "a negative set of thinking and results." Internal efforts of control to be positive were positively related to both of the two factors. Positive daily activities were positively related to a positive set. Dichotomous thinking was positively related to a negative set. Results implied that Magical Thinking Followers were more motivated to be positive persons partly depending on a naive dichotomous pattern of thinking mechanism.
AB - The purpose of this study is to examine the concept of "magical thinking". "Magical Thinking Followers" are persons who believe in the effect of thinking. This research will contrast magical thinking to the ideas of positive psychology, construct the scale to measure it and investigate its benefits and pitfalls. With the aid of three surveys comprising data of 306 and 382 Japanese undergraduate students, a scale was developed. The scale was made of two factors: "a positive set of thinking and results," and "a negative set of thinking and results." Internal efforts of control to be positive were positively related to both of the two factors. Positive daily activities were positively related to a positive set. Dichotomous thinking was positively related to a negative set. Results implied that Magical Thinking Followers were more motivated to be positive persons partly depending on a naive dichotomous pattern of thinking mechanism.
KW - Dichotomous thinking
KW - Efforts of being a positive person
KW - Magical thinking
KW - Magical thinking followers
KW - Positive psychology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84890842538&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.2117/psysoc.2013.179
DO - 10.2117/psysoc.2013.179
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84890842538
VL - 56
SP - 179
EP - 193
JO - Psychologia
JF - Psychologia
SN - 0033-2852
IS - 3
ER -