Friday the 13th: How Superstitions, Luck, and Mood Influence Decision Making

Abstract

A superstitious belief has the power to affect how people go about their everyday lives and how they even will go out of their way to protect or enhance their future. The purpose of this research was to examine the connection between superstitions, luck, and mood on a risky decision task. Although Friday the 13th, did not directly impact decision making (Study 1), mood states were found to be significantly lower on Friday the 13th relative to mood on Friday the 20th. Additionally, negative mood states significantly predicted safer decision-making on a risky decision-making task (Study 1 and 2). This finding suggests that Friday the 13th may have had an indirect impact on decision making. Individual differences in the perception of luck and superstition was also examined.