The Psychology of Superstition

The Psychology of Superstition is a relatively compact and comprehensive introduction to this topic. It covers the difficulty in defining superstition as compared to similar phenomena, then arrives at a fairly sensible working definition. Individual chapters take us through the topics of the

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unconscious, conditioned responses, society, uncertainty, and different modes of thinking in their relevance to forming and perpetuating superstitions. Examples of superstition that occur in the book range from ghosts and witches, behavioural acts such as not stepping on cracks between pavement tiles, knocking on wood, and fears of breaking mirrors or spilling salt, among more exotic rituals.
Overall this is a good introduction that is easy to read, brief, and covers a lot of material.

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