The perceived efficacy of various "future-ologies" and complementary medicine

Objectives: To examine the relationship between beliefs in ways of telling the future (astrology, graphology, palmistry etc) and beliefs in complement ary and alternative medicine (CAM). Design: Participants completed a short questionnaire that requested that th ey rate the efficacy of 8 CAM therapies along with 12 other ways of predict ing the future ranging from the well known and established (astrology) to t he less well known (tasseography, oneiromancy). Short descriptions of each were provided. They also answered four attitude statements on science as ap plied to medicine. Subjects: Two hundred three (130 female, 73 male) adult Britains obtained f rom a university subject panel served as unpaid volunteer subjects. Results: CAM therapies were judged as modestly effective and most of the ot her "-ologies" ineffective. Further analysis confirmed two clear factors wi th the different methods loading on two different factors. Regressions show ed females who were less concerned with scientific evaluations but more con cerned with treatment believed more in the efficacy of the "future-ologies. " Also females, who had heard of fewer "future-ologies" but more CAM practi ces were more likely to believe in the efficacy of CAM therapies. Conclusion: Belief in CAM is unrelated to belief in "future-ologies." Inter est in the scientific evaluations of treatment is the best predictor of bel iefs about efficacy.