Age and Sex Differences in Paranormal Beliefs after Controlling for Differential Item Functioning

Previous studies have reported age and sex differences in the strength of paranormal beliefs, but these findings could of been an artefact of differential item functioning (items that can be understood differentially by certain groups such as women or men, or different age groups) in the scales used to index paranormal beliefs. Using a paranormal belief questionnaire that has been shown to be free of differential item functioning for sex and age, a cumulative sample of 569 Australian adults confirmed the general trend for paranormal beliefs to decline with age and to be higher among women than men. A hypothesised interaction between sex and age was not supported. Empirical and theoretical implications of these findings are addressed.