Deviant Behavior

Magazine Overview

This document is a scanned page from the academic journal "Deviant Behavior," specifically Volume 6, Issue 4, published in 1985. The article featured is titled "Belief in UFOs as alternative reality, cultural rejection or disturbed psyche" by Troy A. Zimmer, affiliated with the Department of Sociology at California State University, Fullerton. The article was published online on May 18, 2010, but the printed version is from 1985. The publisher is Routledge, with Informa Ltd registered in England and Wales.

Article Summary: Belief in UFOs as alternative reality, cultural rejection or disturbed psyche

This article by Troy A. Zimmer investigates three prominent explanations for why individuals believe in UFOs as alien spacecraft. The study, utilizing survey data from 453 college undergraduates, tested the "alternative reality" theory, the "cultural rejection" thesis, and the "disturbed psyche" theory.

The "Alternative Reality" Theory

This theory posits that UFO believers are individuals captivated by the wonder and excitement of potential extraterrestrial life. They believe because they desire to, and are often more psychologically engaged with science fiction and mysticism. The study found significant correlations supporting this theory, linking UFO belief to being a science fiction fan (r=.30), enjoying discussions about UFOs (r=.45), and finding media portrayals of UFOs more convincing (r=.27).

The "Cultural Rejection" Thesis

This perspective suggests that UFO believers are social marginals or "outsiders" who express their alienation from mainstream society by adopting unconventional beliefs. While not directly tested with a specific survey item, indirect evidence from a study by Warren (1970) indicated that individuals experiencing status inconsistency (higher education but lower income) were more likely to report seeing a possible UFO. However, Fox (1979) failed to replicate these findings, criticizing status inconsistency as too ambiguous.

The "Disturbed Psyche" Theory

This theory proposes that UFO believers are mentally disturbed, troubled, or unhappy individuals susceptible to "primitive" thinking and delusions. Explanations under this umbrella suggest believers might be "throwbacks" to pre-scientific times, "irrational," "emotional," low in mental health, or suffering from "psychic deprivation." Some also suggest UFO belief is a coping mechanism for a world perceived as self-destructive, with UFOs representing hope for a new order. However, the article notes that existing evidence for this theory often comes from observations of cult members or those reporting extreme encounters, and such claims may not be typical of all believers.

Methodology and Findings

The study employed an anonymous questionnaire administered to 475 college undergraduates, with a usable sample of 453 after data deletion. Respondents were asked about their belief in alien visitation, personal UFO sightings, and the influence of science fiction, media, and government honesty on their beliefs. Measures for mysticism, cultural rejection, and psychological well-being were also included.

The data analysis strongly supported the "alternative reality" theory. The study found that belief in UFOs as alien spacecraft was significantly correlated with factors related to science fiction subculture. Specifically, being a science fiction fan, liking to talk about UFOs, and believing that media makes UFOs seem more real were all positively correlated with UFO belief.

Conversely, the "cultural rejection" and "disturbed psyche" theories received less empirical support from the tested indicators. For instance, measures of cynicism, pessimism, personal unhappiness, and life dissatisfaction showed weak or no correlation with believing in UFOs as alien spaceships.

Prevalence of Belief

Gallup polls indicated that about 51% of Americans believe in extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), and 57% believe UFO sightings are real. Belief rates for alien spaceships visiting Earth ranged from 25% to 45%, depending on the survey's wording. This specific study found that 32.2% of its respondents believed UFOs were alien spaceships, while a significant 30.5% were unsure, and 37.3% disbelieved.

The article concludes that the "alternative reality" theory, particularly the link to science fiction and a broader belief in ETI, provides the most compelling explanation for UFO belief among the theories examined. The study highlights that while many people are interested in UFOs, the belief that they are alien spacecraft is a minority and often considered a deviant belief within scientific and educational communities.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout the article is the sociological and psychological analysis of belief in UFOs. It frames UFO belief as a phenomenon that can be understood through established social science theories, rather than solely through paranormal or extraterrestrial explanations. The journal "Deviant Behavior" and its publisher, Routledge, suggest an editorial stance that examines unusual or non-mainstream beliefs and behaviors through rigorous academic research. The article itself adopts a neutral, analytical tone, presenting empirical data to test hypotheses about belief systems.

This document is a scholarly article titled "BELIEF IN UFOs, THREE THEORIES STUDIED" by T. A. Zimmer, published in a journal or magazine, with page number 413. It presents research findings on the psychological and social factors influencing belief in UFOs as alien spacecraft.

Theoretical Framework

The article investigates three primary theories attempting to explain belief in UFOs:

1. Alternative Reality Theory: This theory posits that belief in UFOs stems from an acceptance of a possible alternative reality, such as extraterrestrial intelligence.
2. Disturbed Psyche Theory: This theory suggests that belief in UFOs is a manifestation of psychological distress, unhappiness, or alienation.
3. Cultural Rejection Theory: This theory proposes that individuals who reject societal norms or desire radical societal change might be more inclined to believe in UFOs as a sign of hope for a new social order.

Methodology and Findings

The research employed statistical analysis, including correlations and multiple regression, to test these theories. Data from a sample of 453 individuals were analyzed.

Support for Alternative Reality Theory:

The study found strong empirical support for the alternative reality explanation. Key findings include:

• Belief in UFOs was positively correlated with regarding astrology as accurate (r=.29) and believing in the occult (r=.36).
• Those who accepted these mystical alternative realities were more likely to accept the UFO alternative reality.
• Conversely, religious orthodoxy showed a weak negative correlation (r=-.07).

Disconfirmation of Disturbed Psyche and Cultural Rejection Theories:

• None of the indicators for a malevolent worldview or personal well-being correlated significantly with belief in UFOs, disconfirming the disturbed psyche explanation.
• UFO believers were not found to be more distressed, unhappy, dissatisfied, anomic, cynical, or to perceive evil as a stronger force than good.
• Only one item related to cultural rejection – wanting to start society over – showed a weak positive correlation (r=.18) with UFO belief, suggesting minimal support for this theory.

Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression:

To assess the combined influence of various factors, a factor analysis was conducted on six science fiction/UFO indicators. This analysis identified two main factors:

1. Science Fiction Interest: Including items like being a science fiction fan, liking to talk about UFOs, and media making UFOs seem more real.
2. Possible UFO Sightings: Including personal sightings and friends' sightings.

These factors, along with the belief that the government is honest on UFOs, were entered into a multiple regression analysis.

The results of the multiple regression (Table 4) indicated:

• Science Fiction Index: Had the strongest positive standardized coefficient (beta=.29), indicating that involvement in the science fiction subculture was a significant predictor of UFO belief.
• Government Honest on UFOs: Showed a moderate negative association (beta=-.27), suggesting that a belief in government honesty about UFOs was linked to lower UFO belief. However, the authors noted that causal ordering could not be definitively determined, and a reciprocal relationship might exist.
• UFO Sightings Index: Was only weakly related to UFO belief (beta=.15), suggesting that personal sightings alone do not strongly propel individuals to conclude that aliens are visiting Earth.
• Mysticism Indicators: Astrology (beta=.15) and occult beliefs (beta=.14) showed moderate positive associations, but less so than science fiction involvement.
• Cultural Rejection: The item 'Want to start society over' was unrelated to UFO belief (beta=-.05).

The overall R-squared value for the regression was .61, indicating that these selected items accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in UFO belief.

Key Observations and Conclusions

• Dominance of Alternative Reality: The findings strongly supported the alternative reality theory, emphasizing the role of fascination with and immersion in the idea of alien life and other worlds.
• Role of Science Fiction: Involvement in science fiction was identified as a more significant factor than mystical beliefs in explaining UFO belief.
• Government Influence: The data suggested that if the government were to present evidence or endorse the idea of UFOs as alien visitors, belief in UFOs would likely increase substantially, particularly among those who are currently unsure.
• Distinction Between Sightings and Belief: The study concluded that UFO sightings and belief in UFOs as alien spaceships are distinct phenomena, only slightly related. Belief does not appear to be driven primarily by perceptual distortions or a need for diversion.
• Diversity of Believers: The article noted that UFO believers are diverse, and characterizing them solely based on extreme examples (e.g., cult members, those claiming abduction) might be misleading. The study also highlighted that believers were not necessarily unhappy or alienated individuals.

Future Research Directions

The article suggests several avenues for future research, including:

• Understanding how individuals become attracted to alternative realities in the first place, possibly through primary or secondary socialization.
• Investigating the influence of dramatic life events (like UFO sightings) combined with supportive social networks.
• Exploring the relationship between UFO beliefs and specific personality traits.

References

The article includes an extensive list of references, citing numerous studies on UFOs, cults, beliefs, and related social and psychological phenomena from authors such as Balch, Buckner, Fox, Grinspoon, Hall, Hynek, Menzel, Otis, Sagen, Saunders, Shaeffer, Stupple, Sullivan, Swift, Warren, and Westrum.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the exploration and empirical testing of different theoretical explanations for belief in UFOs. The article adopts a scientific and analytical stance, using statistical data to evaluate hypotheses. The findings consistently point towards psychological and social factors, particularly engagement with science fiction and the acceptance of alternative realities, as key drivers of UFO belief, rather than psychological distress or cultural alienation.