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Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire3

Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire Test

In 5 minutes, learn how strongly you lean on omens, rituals, and superstitions for comfort and safety. Quick, simple, and useful for clinical, research, or consulting work, even with large groups.

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Questions: 255 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

24,970 views

2,283 completions

1,856 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

39/100

Active Use (AU)

Measures how often a person actively uses rituals, omens, and superstitious beliefs in everyday life to reduce psycho-emotional stress.

Low use

Moderate use

High use

0 – 35: Low use | 36 – 65: Moderate use | 66 – 100: High use

A score of 39 falls in the Moderate use range, suggesting occasional reliance on rituals or omens as a way to manage everyday stress.

example score

68/100

Alternative Treatment (AT)

Measures willingness to use alternative or magical remedies and consult healers or psychics for health-related concerns.

Low reliance

Moderate reliance

High reliance

0 – 35: Low reliance | 36 – 65: Moderate reliance | 66 – 100: High reliance

A score of 68 falls in the High reliance range, suggesting a stronger tendency to view miraculous or magical approaches as relevant options for maintaining health.

example score

46/100

Magical Forecasting (MF)

Assesses reliance on forecasts and beliefs in predestined fate, reflecting fatalism and reduced perceived personal agency in decisions.

Low reliance

Moderate reliance

High reliance

0 – 35: Low reliance | 36 – 65: Moderate reliance | 66 – 100: High reliance

A score of 46 indicates a moderate tendency to consider forecasts or fate when interpreting events, with personal choice still playing a meaningful role.

example score

40/100

Magical Anxiety (MA)

Measures the extent to which a person attributes harm, setbacks, or anxiety to negative magical forces rather than to controllable causes.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 35: Low | 36 – 65: Moderate | 66 – 100: High

A score of 40 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional reliance on magical explanations for negative events, with personal control still often considered.

example score

69/100

Superstitiousness (S)

Measures how strongly a person relies on omens and superstitions as a form of psychological protection and comfort.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 35: Low | 36 – 65: Moderate | 66 – 100: High

A score of 69 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger tendency to use superstitious beliefs or signs to feel safer and reduce uncertainty.

example score

58/100

Overall Level of Prelogical Defense (OLoPD)

Measures how strongly a person relies on irrational, magical, or superstitious beliefs and rituals as a form of psychological protection and anxiety relief.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 35: Low | 36 – 65: Moderate | 66 – 100: High

A score of 58 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not dominant tendency to use superstitious or ritual-based beliefs for comfort and a sense of safety.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Curious self-explorers

41%OF USERS

People who want a quick snapshot of how much they rely on omens, rituals, or “lucky” habits to feel safe and in control.

Therapy and counseling clients

34%OF USERS

Individuals working through anxiety or uncertainty who want to understand whether magical thinking is part of their coping style.

Researchers and clinicians

25%OF USERS

Professionals who need a fast, standardized way to assess superstition-based defenses in studies, screenings, or large groups.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Active Use (AU)

Average

54.5

Normal range

36.1 — 73

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Alternative treatment (At)

Average

45.8

Normal range

28.5 — 63.2

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Magic Forecast (MF)

Average

45.4

Normal range

31 — 59.8

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Magical Anxiety (MA)

Average

74.5

Normal range

62.2 — 86.8

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Superstition (S)

Average

61.4

Normal range

42.7 — 80.1

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

General severity of prelogical defense (Gsopd)

Average

44.9

Normal range

32.5 — 57.4

min.

max.

100

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

For each question, please select the response option that best applies to you. Keep in mind that there are no “good” or “bad” answers; choose the option that most accurately reflects you.

- No
- Rather no than yes
- I don't know
- Rather yes than no
- Yes
- No
- Probably no rather than yes
- I don't know
- Probably yes rather than no
- Yes
- No
- Probably not
- I don't know
- Probably yes
- Yes

These are 3 of the 25 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire, BSQ Test

Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire Test - Symptoms and Signs

irrational thinking

superstition

defense mechanisms

This brief self-report measure assesses the extent to which an individual endorses superstitious beliefs and engages in related rituals in everyday life. The Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire is commonly used to describe reliance on culturally shared or personally developed belief patterns that may function as coping strategies under uncertainty or stress.

The instrument includes 25 items and typically requires about 5 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements about beliefs, omens, and ritualized behaviors, yielding an overall index of endorsement intensity that can inform clinical formulation or research hypotheses; it was developed by G. A. Jahoda.

In applied settings, the Beliefs and Superstitions Questionnaire may be used alongside other assessment data to contextualize magical thinking or ritualized coping within a broader psychosocial and cultural framework, without making diagnostic inferences on its own.

Author: G. A. Jahoda

Literature: Vyse, S. A. Believing in magic: The psychology of superstition. Oxford University Press. 1997.