Who Believes in Astrology? The Odd Role of Narcissism
Astrology belief is surprisingly linked to both narcissism and agreeableness
Discredited forms of knowledge remain popular.
Belief in astrology remains widespread, despite considerable evidence that it is scientifically unfounded. Many people base important life decisions, such as who to date, on astrological principles. However, a study in Sweden that looked at records of marriage and divorce in over 500,000 individuals from 1968 to 2001 found no evidence that the compatibility of a couple’s star signs had any effect on whether they stayed married or eventually divorced (Helgertz & Scott, 2020).
Research has examined numerous factors that may help explain why some people believe in unfounded ideas like astrology. A recent study looked at personality and intelligence and made the novel discovery that people who believe in astrology tend to be more narcissistic (Andersson et al., 2022). Surprisingly, the study also found that believers also tended to be higher in agreeableness, despite there being an inverse relationship between narcissism and agreeableness.
Using a survey of 264 people recruited via Facebook, Andersson et al. asked respondents eight questions about their belief in astrology and an additional question about whether they thought…
