Psychology Myth Buster Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology Myth Buster - Research Paper Example They did not win; in fact, their numbers did not even figure in the lottery. Therefore, the superstition is false. Psychology Myth Buster Superstitions and myths are beliefs that are widely held but prove to be irrational most of the time (Merriam-Webster’s). They are usually beliefs that are passed down from generation to generation, often explain various phenomena, but is most commonly held for luck and for problem solving purposes. The myth that was picked for this paper was the myth that â€Å"wearing your birthstone can bring you good luck†, which is common according to the site of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (http://www.csicop.org/superstition/library/common_superstitions/). To operationally define the construct, the researcher devised a task. The task is entering a lottery while the participants were wearing their birthstones (ruby and opal, respectively). The lottery is a complete test of luck, as it does not depend on IQ, skill or any person’s ab ilities. Luck, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, is a favoring chance, with chance meaning â€Å"something caused by luck† (Merriam-Webster’s). Also, chance also meant a raffle lottery ticket, which is something significant to the experimental setup. Apart from having the lottery task, self-report is another way of operationally defining the constructs.