FSD3259 Understanding People and Understanding Things 2013
The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.
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Study title
Understanding People and Understanding Things 2013
Dataset ID Number
FSD3259
Persistent identifiers
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3259https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3259
Data Type
Quantitative
Authors
- Lindeman, Marjaana (University of Helsinki. Department of Psychology and Logopedics)
- Svedholm-Häkkinen, Annika (University of Helsinki. Department of Psychology and Logopedics)
- Riekki, Tapani (University of Helsinki. Department of Psychology and Logopedics)
Abstract
The psychological study charted beliefs, thinking and reasoning. It surveyed, among others, the respondents' religiosity, spatial awareness, capacity for empathy, ability to understand other people and the inanimate nature, as well as their intuitive, reflective and flexible thinking. Some of the batteries of questions included standardised measures and some were developed by the researchers. The goal of the project was to examine reasoning skills, intuitive skills in psychology and physics and the relationship of these skills with supernatural beliefs. A follow-up data collection from the same respondents was conducted in 2015 and it resulted in 420 responses. This follow-up dataset is also available at FSD: FSD3260 Understanding People and Understanding Things 2013 and 2015.
The respondents were first asked about what their and their parents' jobs were or had been like, how empathetic they were (using the Short Empathy Quotient) and whether they agreed with some teleological explanations of how the natural world works (e.g. "Moss forms on rocks to slow down soil erosion"). Autistic traits were charted using the Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Form. Intuitive thinking was surveyed, and the respondents were presented five mental rotation tasks.
The respondents' gender roles were examined (Sex Role Inventory) as well as their drive to analyse and explore systems (Short Systemizing Quotient). Paranormal and magical beliefs (e.g. telepathy, witchcraft, angels, miracles) were surveyed. The respondents were presented the Revised Eyes Test where they were requested to assess the emotional states of persons based on the images of their eyes. They were also presented questions and statements relating to social intelligence (Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale) and asked whether they thought certain fictional events presented had a special purpose or significance. Leisure time activities and interpersonal relationships (Friendship Scale) were charted.
The respondents were asked whether they liked observing the order or rules of different things and whether they kept things in good order. They were presented items from the Physical Prediction Questionnaire, where they were asked to predict the direction a lever would move in response to a movement of a connected lever. A number of statements were also presented, and the respondents were asked to assess whether they were literal or metaphorical (e.g. "The house knows its history", "Flowing water is a liquid"). The tendency to think in an intuitive or analytical manner was charted using selected items from the Rational-Experiential Inventory. Schizotypal traits were surveyed (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire Brief).
The Cognitive Reflection Test was used to measure cognitive processing. Finally, the respondents were presented a pictorial empathy test and map tasks designed by the researcher. The former charted whether certain images evoked emotions in the respondents and the latter asked them to place an image of a city on a map.
Background variables included, among others, age, gender, religious denomination, handedness, education, economic activity, place of study, field of study or work, and the most recent grade in mathematics and physics.
Keywords
beliefs; cognitive processes; emotional states; magic; perception; personality; personality traits; problem solving; reasoning; social interaction; supernatural
Topic Classification
- Humanities (Fields of Science Classification)
- Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
- Psychology (CESSDA Topic Classification)
- Social behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)
Series
Individual datasetsDistributor
Finnish Social Science Data Archive
Access
The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.
Data Collector
- Lindeman, Marjaana (University of Helsinki. Department of Psychology and Logopedics)
- Svedholm-Häkkinen, Annika (University of Helsinki. Department of Psychology and Logopedics)
- Riekki, Tapani (University of Helsinki. Department of Psychology and Logopedics)
Funders
- Academy of Finland (266573)
Time Period Covered
2013
Collection Dates
2013-10 – 2013-11
Nation
Finland
Geographical Coverage
Finland
Analysis/Observation Unit Type
Individual
Universe
Finnish-speaking people aged 18 or over residing in Finland
Time Method
Cross-section
Sampling Procedure
Non-probability: Availability
The participants were recruited through open discussion forums online and student email lists. The participants were able to share the invitation with others. Participation was voluntary and there were no exclusion criteria.
Collection Mode
Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)
Research Instrument
Structured questionnaire
Data File Language
Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.
The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.
FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.
Data Version
1.0
Related Datasets
FSD3260 Understanding People and Understanding Things 2013 and 2015
Completeness of Data and Restrictions
The questionnaire does not contain the images related to the Pictorial Empathy Test battery 'PET' but they are available in a separate file. In the map task, negative values for x1-y4 signify that the participant has clicked on a position outside the map. Variables x1oikein through yhtoik were added to the data based on the original researchers' syntaxes and they contain information on whether the respondent clicked on the correct spot on the map. The size of the correct spot was defined as 40 pixels wide and high. In order to have a value of 1 in variables k1oikein - k4oikein, the respondent had to have both x and y values correct - otherwise the value is 0.
The data do not contain open-ended responses or questions related to stories presented to the respondents. Image variable pet5_1 was removed from the data at the researchers' request.
Weighting
There are no weight variables in the data.
Citation Requirement
The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.
Bibliographical Citation
Lindeman, Marjaana (University of Helsinki) & Svedholm-Häkkinen, Annika (University of Helsinki) & Riekki, Tapani (University of Helsinki): Understanding People and Understanding Things 2013 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2019-07-03). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3259
Deposit Requirement
Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.
Disclaimer
The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.
Related Publications
Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M., & Lindeman, M. (2018). Actively Open-Minded Thinking: Development of a shortened scale and disentangling attitudes towards knowledge and people. Thinking & Reasoning, 24, 2140.
Lindeman, M. & Lipsanen, J. (2017). Mentalizing: Seeking the underlying dimensions. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 9, 10-23.
Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M., Ojala, S. J., & Lindeman, M. (2018). Male brain type women and female brain type men: Gender atypical cognitive profiles and their correlates. Personality and Individual Differences, 122, 7-12.
Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M., Halme, S., & Lindeman, M. (2018). Empathizing and systemizing are differentially related to dimensions of autistic traits in the general population. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 18, 35-42.
Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M. & Lindeman, M. (2017): Intuitive and Deliberative Empathizers and Systemizers. Journal of Personality, 85, 593-602.
Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M. & Lindeman, M. (2016). Testing the Empathizing-Systemizing theory in the general population: Occupations, vocational interests, grades, hobbies, friendship quality, social intelligence, and sex role identity. Personality and Individual Differences, 90, 365-370.
Lindeman, M. & Lipsanen, J. (2016). Diverse cognitive profiles of religious believers and nonbelievers. International Journal for The Psychology of Religion, 26, 185-192.
Lindeman, M., Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M., Lipsanen, J. (2015). Ontological confusions but not mentalizing abilities predict religious belief, paranormal belief, and belief in supernatural purpose. Cognition, 134, 63-76.
Koirikivi, Iiro (2014). Measurement of affective empathy with Pictorial Empathy Test (PET). University of Helsinki. Psychology Master's Thesis.
Lindeman, M. & Svedholm-Häkkinen, A. M. (2016). Does poor understanding of physical world predict religious and paranormal beliefs? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 30, 736-742.
Study description in machine readable DDI-C 2.5 format
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