Paranormal Belief Test (RPBS)

The scientific study of paranormal beliefs has long fascinated psychologists and social scientists seeking to understand how individuals interpret experiences and claims that lie outside conventional scientific explanations. In 2004, researcher Jerome J. Tobacyk published the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS), an updated and refined twenty-six-item instrument designed to assess belief across multiple distinct domains of the supernatural. Rather than treating belief in the extraordinary as a single, uniform trait, Tobacyk recognized that individuals often embrace certain unseen phenomena while firmly rejecting others. The scale was developed to provide a nuanced, multidimensional profile of how people relate to diverse paranormal and metaphysical claims.

The RPBS evaluates seven separate facets of belief, each highlighting a distinct category of extraordinary experience. Traditional Religious Belief captures foundational metaphysical propositions often central to established religions, such as the existence of a creator God, the devil, and the survival of the soul following physical death. Psychic Ability, historically referred to in psychological literature as psi, measures belief in direct mental influences over the physical world, such as telekinesis, mind-over-matter interactions, and telepathic communication. Witchcraft examines belief in the practical reality of magical practitioners, formulas, and incantations capable of casting spells on other people. Superstition addresses folkloric convictions regarding luck and fate, such as the negative influence of broken mirrors, black cats, or the number thirteen.

The remaining three facets investigate other extraordinary possibilities. Spiritualism assesses belief in the separation of consciousness from the physical body, including astral projection, out-of-body travel during altered states, and reincarnation into new lifetimes. Other Life Forms reflects an openness to undiscovered or unusual biological entities, ranging from cryptids like the Loch Ness monster and the yeti to life on distant planets. Precognition measures confidence in the ability to foresee future events through psychic intuition, astrology, and horoscopic charts. Together, these seven subscales offer a detailed portrait of which extraordinary claims resonate with your thinking and which you approach with skepticism.

Extensive empirical research using the RPBS demonstrates that paranormal beliefs vary substantially based on cultural background, upbringing, and personal experiences. For instance, a major 2017 investigation by Kenneth Drinkwater and colleagues involving thousands of participants confirmed that while an underlying openness often connects these beliefs, the seven individual subscales capture distinct and meaningful patterns of thinking. An individual may hold strong traditional religious convictions while rejecting superstitions entirely, or vice versa. Psychologists emphasize that endorsing these ideas is a common aspect of human cognition rather than an indication of unusual thinking or cognitive deficit.

When population comparison markers appear on your results chart, they provide an interesting contextual reference point against published academic cohorts. Please keep in mind that these markers represent linear estimates derived from specific published research samples rather than standardized percentiles or comprehensive diagnostic norms. Because belief patterns fluctuate across different cultures, demographic groups, and eras, comparison values should be viewed as broad contextual benchmarks rather than definitive measures of where you rank in the global population.

This test is provided solely for educational, personal reflection, and informational purposes. It is not a clinical assessment, diagnostic instrument, or measure of cognitive ability or rationality. Endorsement of paranormal concepts reflects personal worldview, cultural heritage, and openness to the unknown. This online assessment is based on the published Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS) by Jerome Tobacyk and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the original researcher or associated academic publishers.

References

• Tobacyk, J. J. (2000). Revised Paranormal Belief Scale. PsycTESTS Dataset.