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Investigations Disclose Personality Characteristics Tied to UFO Observations

Individuals who claim to have seen unidentified flying objects (UFOs) might not be prone to cognitive distortions, the research indicates, but rather may be experiencing genuine phenomena.

Research Reveals Personality Characteristics Associated with UFO Observations
Research Reveals Personality Characteristics Associated with UFO Observations

Investigations Disclose Personality Characteristics Tied to UFO Observations

A groundbreaking study led by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Daniel Stubbings from Cardiff Metropolitan University has identified specific personality traits that are more common among individuals who report witnessing unidentified flying objects (UFOs) or unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The research, published in the Spring 2024 issue of the Journal of Scientific Exploration, sheds light on the psychological factors influencing UAP sightings.

Dr. Stubbings and his team, including colleagues Sophie Ali and Alexander Wong, found that individuals who are more likely to report UAP sightings tend to exhibit higher levels of fantasy proneness, increased openness to experience, greater suggestibility, heightened paranormal belief, and more sensation-seeking behaviour. These traits suggest a predisposition to interpret ambiguous stimuli or unusual sensory experiences as UAP sightings.

The study involved 206 participants, split evenly between those who reported UAP sightings and those who did not. The research references a 2011 paper in the Applied Cognitive Psychology Journal, which suggests that certain personality factors can predict belief in UFOs. Dr. Stubbings' work builds upon this by focusing on the likelihood of witnessing and reporting UAP sightings.

Interestingly, the study found that only 14% of participants used formal UFO reporting organisations, suggesting that underreporting of UAP sightings is due to stigma and a lack of proper channels for reporting. The study also highlighted that only 28% of participants reported their UAP sightings, indicating that many individuals may be experiencing these phenomena without acknowledging or reporting them.

The research concludes that individuals in the O-ACE group (high in openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion, but low in neuroticism and schizotypy traits) are more likely to report UAP sightings. This finding underscores the importance of understanding the psychological drivers behind UAP sightings for the scientific community.

Dr. Stubbings emphasized the need for ongoing dialogue about the psychological and mental health aspects related to UAP sightings. As the study calls for further investigation into the intersection of psychology and the unexplained phenomena of UAP sightings, it opens up a new avenue of research that could lead to a better understanding of these mysterious occurrences.

The research conducted by Dr. Daniel Stubbings and his team points towards a connection between mental health and unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) sightings, as individuals who tend to report UAP sightings exhibit higher levels of fantasy proneness, increased openness to experience, greater suggestibility, heightened paranormal belief, and more sensation-seeking behavior. Additionally, the study highlights the potential impact of health-and-wellness factors, such as mental health, on the reporting of UAP sightings, emphasizing the need for ongoing dialogue and further investigation in this area.

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