Table 1.
Competing factor models of the revised paranormal belief scale.
| Model type | Description and item allocation |
|---|---|
| Two-factor oblique (Lange et al., 2000) | Two correlated factors: Traditional Paranormal Beliefs (items 8, 17, 22, 24, 26), and New Age Philosophy (items 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23) |
| One-factor | All 26 RPBS items specified to load on a single factor |
| Five-factor oblique (Lawrence, 1995a) | Mixture of orthogonal and oblique relationships among five factors: Traditional Religious Belief (items 1, 8, 15, 22), Psychic Beliefs (items 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26), Superstition (items 4, 11, 18), Witchcraft (items 3, 10, 17, 24), and Anomalous Natural Phenomena (items 6, 7, 13, 14, 20) |
| Five-factor oblique (Lawrence et al., 1997) | Same as Lawrence (1995a), but with different factor correlations |
| Five-factor orthogonal (Lawrence et al., 1997) | Same factor composition as Lawrence (1995a), but with orthogonal relationships specified among factors |
| Five-factor bifactor | Six factors: Traditional Religious Belief (items 1, 8, 15, 22), Psychic Beliefs (items 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26), Superstition (items 4, 11, 18), Witchcraft (items 3, 10, 17, 24), Anomalous Natural Phenomena (items 6, 7, 13, 14, 20), and RPBS-Total (all scale items) |
| Seven-factor orthogonal (Tobacyk and Milford, 1983) | Seven orthogonal factors: Traditional Religious Belief (items 1, 8, 15, 22), Psi Beliefs (items 2, 9, 16, 23), Superstition (items 4, 11, 18), Witchcraft (items 3, 10, 17, 24), Spiritualism (items 5, 12, 19, 25), Precognition (items 7, 14, 21, 26), and Extraordinary Lifeforms (items 6, 13, 20) |
| Seven-factor mixed model (Tobacyk and Thomas, 1997) | Same as Tobacyk and Milford (1983), but with a mixture of orthogonal and oblique relationships among factors |
| Seven-factor oblique (Lawrence et al., 1997) | Same factor composition as Tobacyk and Milford (1983), but with oblique relationships specified among factors |
| Seven-factor bifactor | Eight factors: Traditional Religious Belief (items 1, 8, 15, 22), Psi Beliefs (items 2, 9, 16, 23), Superstition (items 4, 11, 18), Witchcraft (items 3, 10, 17, 24), Spiritualism (items 5, 12, 19, 25), Precognition (items 7, 14, 21, 26), Extraordinary Lifeforms (items 6, 13, 20), and RPBS-Total (all scale items) |