Random Sequences, Experienced Coincidences, and Pseudoscientific Beliefs

ABSTRACT Previous studies have found a positive link between endorsement of paranormal beliefs and experiencing more “meaningful” coincidences (e.g., thinking of someone and then meeting them unexpectedly) and a stronger repetition avoidance bias. We tested if these effects also apply to pseudoscientific beliefs. Volunteers completed a pseudoscience endorsement scale, reported the frequency and explanations for experienced coincidences, and performed random sequence generation tasks. Higher pseudoscience endorsement was associated with more frequent meaningful coincidences and attributing them to non‐chance causes. Believers also avoided consecutive repetitions more often when replicating the tossing of a coin. A regression model suggested that a lower threshold for causally connecting events and a biased representation of randomness independently contribute to pseudoscience endorsement. Our results pave the way for the development of interventions aimed at reducing pseudoscientific beliefs based on improving the interpretation of coincidences and the representation of randomness.