1971 04 00 Journal of Social Psychology - Vol 83 No 2 - Littig

Magazine Overview

This document is a scanned page from "The Journal of Social Psychology," Volume 83, Issue 2, published in 1971. The article featured is titled "Affiliation Motivation and Belief in Extraterrestrial UFOs" by Lawrence W. Littig, from the Department of Psychology at Howard University. The article was published online on June 30, 2010, but the citation indicates a 1971 publication date for the journal itself.

Affiliation Motivation and Belief in Extraterrestrial UFOs

The article explores the persistent interest in extraterrestrial life and "unidentified flying objects" (UFOs), such as flying saucers, in the absence of objective evidence. It suggests that beliefs about such phenomena might be deeply embedded in personality. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between affiliation motivation and the belief that UFOs originate from other worlds.

The core hypothesis was that a strong affiliation motive—the desire to be accepted and loved by others—is associated with a belief in the alien origins of UFOs. This is predicated on the idea that a peopled universe offers greater possibilities for positive emotional responses than an empty one.

Methodology and Findings

To test this hypothesis, the "Test of Insight" was administered to 77 undergraduate students. Their responses were analyzed to determine their affiliation motivation levels. Subjects were categorized as having strong or weak affiliation motivation based on their scores relative to a median.

Specifically, 34 subjects scoring above the median were considered strong, and 36 below were considered weak. The mean affiliation motivation scores for these groups were 7.79 for the strong group and 2.03 for the weak group.

The hypothesis was tested by comparing these groups' responses to a Likert-type statement: "Further research on UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects, e.g., 'flying saucers') will reveal that they come from outer space." This statement was part of a six-item "Current Scientific Affairs Questionnaire."

The response scale ranged from Strongly Agree (+2) to Strongly Disagree (-2). The strong affiliation motivation group's mean response was +.15 ±.72, indicating a slight agreement with the statement. Conversely, the weak affiliation motivation group's mean response was -.22 ±.97, indicating a slight disagreement.

This difference of .37, while small, was found to be statistically significant (t = 1.76, df = 68, p < .05). No significant differences were observed for the other five "neutral" items in the questionnaire.

Interpretation and Conclusion

The study supports the idea that belief in UFOs, as an indicator of belief in life on other worlds, is related to psychological processes. However, it suggests that this relationship is with normal psychology rather than abnormal psychology, such as neurosis or irrationality.

The article concludes that belief in life on other worlds may be a function of a fundamental human characteristic: the need to be responded to positively by other human beings. This suggests that the desire for connection and acceptance might influence one's openness to the idea of extraterrestrial life.

References

The article cites several sources, including:

• Condon, E. U. (1969). *Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects*.
• Shipley, T. E., & Veroff, J. (1952). A projective measure of need for affiliation.
• French, E. G. (1958). Development of a measure of complex motivation.
• Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes.
• Cameron, A. G. W. (Ed.). (1963). *Interstellar Communication*.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the psychological underpinnings of belief in phenomena lacking objective evidence, specifically UFOs. The journal, through this article, appears to explore social and psychological factors influencing beliefs, framing them within the context of normal human psychology and social needs rather than purely as indicators of irrationality or delusion. The editorial stance seems to be one of empirical investigation into social phenomena, seeking psychological explanations for widespread beliefs.