A Search on Individual's Perception of Entity of Superstitions and Influencing Factors Case Study: Isfahan Province, Iran

Along History, The confrontation with environmental threats, and to increase self-adjustment ability to unknown nature, human beings have created specific beliefs collectively. Those beliefs have no scientific and rational basis but sometimes have metaphysical or magical character which usually classified as "superstition". The main purpose of this study is examining individual's impression on entity and nature of Superstitions and recognizing factors influencing their understanding and perception. From methodological viewpoint, this research is based on Conventional approach. It means that, the main purpose of the study isn’t collecting and recognizing real superstition in the society, but the main goal understands people's conception and perception of what is superstition. All residents of 15 years and above in Isfahan province were as the target population for the current study. The total sample size of the current study consists of 6192 individuals, selected based on three variables of age, sex, and residential area according to the quota sampling in 25 sub-province and urban areas. The questionnaire was contained open questions and has completed by face-to-face interviews. Based on Conventional approach, every individual was asked to answer the questions after contemplating about his/ her superstitious beliefs and those of his/ her parents and residential sub-province as well. The results indicate that higher levels of socio-economic development and quality of life, like university education, leads to people's lower tendency to superstitious beliefs.