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Mar 08, 2021 Article
Hocus Pocus: using comics to promote skepticism about the paranormal

by Richard Wiseman, Jordan Collver, Rik Worth and Caroline Watt

This study investigated the potential for comics to promote skepticism about the paranormal. Participants rated their interest in comics, read a skeptical account of alleged paranormal phenomena in one of three mediums (text, comic, and comic containing an interactive magic trick), and then rated their engagement, skepticism and recall. The text was rated as more interesting and entertaining than the comics, and participants' prior interest in comics positively correlated with engagement and shift in skepticism. This suggests that for certain cohorts, comics may be an effective way to promote engagement and attitude change. The implications for future work are considered.

Volume 20 • Issue 02 • 2021