Motivation, cognition and pseudoscience

The article proposes a framework that views pseudoscientific beliefs as a j oint function of the basic social motives and the default way of processing everyday information. The interplay between the basic motives and experien tial thinking is illustrated with three examples. The first concerns compre hension of self via astrology and graphology, and the second involves the c omprehension of unexpected events (one domain of the motive to comprehend t he world). The last example describes health control by alternative medicin e, as a modern way of controlling future outcomes.