Journals / Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 35 Sayı: 2

The Relationship Between Paranormal Beliefs, Personality, Creativity, and Death Anxiety: An Interfaculty Comparison

Paranormal İnançların Kişilik, Yaratıcılık ve Ölüm Kaygısıyla İlişkisi: Fakültelerarası Bir Karşılaştırma

Özlem Olguner Eker(ERCİYES ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0003-1485-3293
Akif Asdemir(ERCİYES ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-5720-8230
Ertuğrul Eşel(ERCİYES ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-7051-5371
Pages
243–251
Publication Date
2026-08-25
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings revealed that medical students had significantly higher paranormal belief scores than theology students (p < 0.001).

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study aimed to evaluate the levels of paranormal beliefs among university students in relation to personality traits, death anxiety, and creativity, and to examine how these beliefs differ between students from different academic disciplines, namely Medicine and Theology.
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Key Findings & Data:A total of 200 students aged 18–30 years (100 from the Faculty of Medicine and 100 from the Faculty of Theology) at Erciyes University were included.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings revealed that medical students had significantly higher paranormal belief scores than theology students (p < 0.001).
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Yaratıcılık · tıp eğitimi · paranormal inançlar

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the levels of paranormal beliefs among university students in relation to personality traits, death anxiety, and creativity, and to examine how these beliefs differ between students from different academic disciplines, namely Medicine and Theology. A total of 200 students aged 18–30 years (100 from the Faculty of Medicine and 100 from the Faculty of Theology) at Erciyes University were included. Participants completed the Paranormal Belief Scale, the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Controlled Word Association Test, and the Death Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 through group comparisons and correlation analyses. The findings revealed that medical students had significantly higher paranormal belief scores than theology students (p < 0.001). Among medical students, both age and year of study were positively associated with higher levels of paranormal beliefs, while theology students achieved higher scores on the verbal association test. A positive correlation was also observed between death anxiety and both neuroticism and psychoticism. Overall, the results indicate that paranormal beliefs are closely associated with individuals’ education, personality traits, and cognitive processes. The educational content offered by different academic disciplines may shape students’ approaches toward irrational beliefs. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to further elucidate these relationships.

Özet

Bu çalışma, üniversite öğrencilerinin paranormal inanç düzeylerini kişilik özellikleri, ölüm kaygısı ve yaratıcılıkla ilişkilendirerek değerlendirmeyi ve farklı akademik disiplinlerde (Tıp ve İlahiyat) eğitim alan öğrenciler arasında bu inançların nasıl farklılaştığını incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmaya Erciyes Üniversitesi Tıp ve İlahiyat Fakültelerinde öğrenim gören 18–30 yaş aralığında toplam 200 öğrenci (100 Tıp, 100 İlahiyat) dahil edilmiştir. Katılımcılara Paranormal İnanç Ölçeği, Eysenck Kişilik Anketi’nin kısa formu, Kontrollü Kelime Çağrışım Testi ve Ölüm Kaygısı Ölçeği uygulanmış; elde edilen veriler SPSS 26.0 programı ile analiz edilerek grup karşılaştırmaları ve korelasyon analizleri yapılmıştır. Bulgular, Tıp Fakültesi öğrencilerinin paranormal inanç puanlarının İlahiyat Fakültesi öğrencilerine kıyasla anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek olduğunu göstermiştir (p<0.001). Ayrıca tıp öğrencilerinde yaş ve öğrenim yılı arttıkça paranormal inanç puanlarının yükseldiği, ilahiyat öğrencilerinin ise sözel çağrışım testinde daha yüksek puan aldığı belirlenmiştir. Ölüm kaygısı ile nörotisizm ve psikotisizm arasında pozitif korelasyon bulunmuştur. Sonuçlar, paranormal inançların bireyin eğitimi, kişilik özellikleri ve bilişsel süreçleriyle yakından ilişkili olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Akademik disiplinlerin sunduğu farklı eğitim içerikleri öğrencilerin irrasyonel inançlara yönelik yaklaşımlarını şekillendirebilir. Daha geniş ve çeşitli örneklemlerle yapılacak ileri çalışmalar, bu ilişkilerin daha kapsamlı biçimde anlaşılmasına katkı sağlayacaktır.

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Cite This Article

Eker, Ö. O., Yavuz, S., Asdemir, A., Eşel, E., *, Ö. O. E. (2026). The Relationship Between Paranormal Beliefs, Personality, Creativity, and Death Anxiety: An Interfaculty Comparison. Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 35 Sayı: 2, 243–251. https://doi.org/10.34108/eujhs.1824484

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