Abstract
This study examines the influence of media messages about paranormal investigators on perceptions of how scientific and credible such investigators are, as well as on beliefs about paranormal phenomena such as ghosts and haunted houses. The analyses use experimental data to test the effects of three different versions of a news story about paranormal investigators: one version presenting them with “trappings of science” such as technology and jargon, another presenting them in terms of traditional supernaturalism, and yet another debunking them as unscientific. The analyses also test whether various forms of media use predict perceptions regarding paranormal investigators and phenomena.
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