Annotation

Annotation The article “ Superstitious to the Bone” is by Annabel Lau. The matter of the article is the contribution of bodily movement to human beings’ superstition (Lau 1). The article is pretty much an outline of a study conducted by psychologists to unearth the relationship between superstition and physical behavior. The gist of the narrative is the method employed by this study and its findings (Lau 1). Lau reflects on the study’s findings while drawing one key conclusion that mirrors that made by the researchers themselves. The thesis of the article is that human beings’ superstition appears to rest within their bodies as much as in bewitched items and distrustful omens. An interesting verbatim quote from the article is “ these seemingly innate feelings may help explain how quickly and easy rituals serve that purpose” (Lau 1). The article is very short. Lau merely reflects on the article’s findings and hypothetical framework while failing to explore the ways the researchers came to these conclusions after the research. The article should have discussed the change in theory before the experiment and after making the new findings. Instead, Lau presented an extension of the study’s abstract section, which is very succinct. Despite the shortness, the article covered all crucial aspects of the study. Lau compares the findings of the first study with a previous one concerning the same matter (Lau 1). This comparison brings the article up-to-date and clear.
I found the study more interesting than the article itself. The sample used, research design, purpose, and reasoning of the study was compelling. Lau further cites resemblances between customs across traditions like hitting wood and spitting that the study’s researcher noted before the actual study. The article may be used for a piece of writing as a basis for an abstract idea concerning superstition amongst human beings and its role or purpose evolutionarily, socially, or psychologically. This type of support arises from the author’s inclusion of the follow-ups made by the researchers. The author says the relationship between the beliefs surrounding suspicious and random activities such as knocking on wood and tossing tennis balls have “ a common underlying mechanism” (Lau 1). This quote expresses the author’s interest in the topic but insufficient understanding of the study being outlined. the author could have added two more comparisons with recent systematic findings to be thorough about the thesis and hypothetical framework. Instead, a short summary of another study makes it hard for a reader to quote the article itself. If anything, Lau’s work may appear as a simple citation of the two research works, especially when they are difficult to find. The article could provide support for a piece of writing that concerns primal human psychology and its implications on contemporary beliefs and ways of living. I also found it interesting that scientific findings discovered that superstition “ fills the gap when there’s nothing you can do” (Lau 1). In a world where religious belief is dependent on superstition, this finding should serve as a wakeup call for all believers and increase criticism for both parties in an effort to achieve objectivity about baseless beliefs.
Title: Superstitious to the Bone
Periodical: Psychology Today
Insights section pages: 1
Issue/Volume: 47/6
Works Cited
Lau, Annabel. Superstitious to the Bone. Psychology Today 47. 6(2014): 1.