Hi! All of the sources can be found at the end of the presentation. Got an A for that project:) Additional text you can say: (Introduction) Hello everyone! The topic of my presentation is, as you can see, "superstitions". Before I begin, I want to ask you - have you ever felt like you've been cursed? Like everything in your life goes in the wrong direction and you just simply lack of luck? If your answer is yes then I hope that today you'll learn what to do and what to avoid to make good fortune come back to you! (Add this to the definition) A superstition is a belief that a particular thing, event or circumstance holds some kind of significance that something is going to happen even though it's not based on knowledge or reason. (Add this to the origin) Many believe that superstitious beliefs originated during the earliest days of humanity. Faced with natural phenomena like thunderstorms and earthquakes, as well as the unpredictability of illness and food supply, human beings attempted to create an understandable world of powers that could be influenced by action. Also - I focused on talking ab each superstition and because of that there's almost no text, so you have to find some info :) Greetings from Poland! Natalie xoxo

1. Natalia Kurek
Psychologia, rok II
SUPERSTITIONS
Do you believe in them?

2. IN TODAY'S
PRESENTATION
What are superstitions
Origins of superstitions
Superstitions in numbers
Superstitions around the world
Discussion & questions

3. WHAT ARE
SUPERSTITIONS?
Superstition is widely held but irrational
belief in supernatural influences, especially
as leading to good or bad luck.
It's a belief that particular events happen in a way
that cannot be explained by reason or science.

4. ORIGINS
The concept of superstition has existed for millennia.
Many superstitions originate from ancient traditions
that gave symbols—like animals, numbers, and
shapes—evil or protective properties.

5. 0
46%
1
13%
2
11%
4
7%
3
6%
5
5%
6
4%
7
3%
8
3%
9
1% SUPERSTITIONS IN
NUMBERS
46% of respondents do not bielieve in
any suggested superstitions.
54% of participants bielieve in at least
one of the ten superstitions.
CBOS, "Przesądy wciąż żywe", Warszawa 2011
10
1%

6. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
15
10
5
0
Number of superstitions practiced
Only 14% of respondents do not
practice any superstitious actions.
SUPERSTITIONS IN
NUMBERS
%

7. Fingers crossed
72%
SUPERSTITIONS IN NUMBERS
THE MOST COMMONLY PRACTICED SUPERSTITIONS
Knock on wood
57%
Blow on a coin
53% Touch a button
49%

8. Four-leaf clover
Rabbit's foot
Shooting star
A horseshoe
Birthday candles
Wishing well
GOOD LUCK
Friday the 13th
Black cat crossing path
Walking under the ladder
Breaking a mirror
Opening umbrella inside the house
Spilling salt
BAD LUCK

9. Be careful when you make a toast!
SUPERSTITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
GERMANY

10. Goat meat = a beard & a moustache
SUPERSTITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
RWANDA

11. Hello Mr Magpie, how’s your wife?
SUPERSTITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
GREAT BRITAIN

12. Beware of the number 4
and hide your thumbs!
SUPERSTITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
JAPAN

13. Fig tree is a way to deal with your enemies
SUPERSTITIONS AROUND THE WORLD
TURKEY

14. Excessive worry
Tension
Obsessive thoughts
However, when the need to engage in a ritual becomes a
compulsion that interferes with your ability to function on a daily
basis, it can be harmful and lead to symptoms such as:
Superstitious behavior and rituals are generally
harmless, and in many cases can be viewed as a way of
controlling anxiety over the unknown.
ARE SUPERSTITIONS
HARMFUL?

15. Studies conducted on the effects of superstition
on our psychology have reported that:
Activating good-luck-related superstitions by using a lucky charm
improved performance in memory and games.
The mechanism behind this improved performance was an increase in
perceived self-efficacy.
By activating a superstition people boosted their confidence in
mastering tasks, which in turn improved their performance.

16. THANK YOU
...AND GOOD LUCK!

17. SOURCES
https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2011/K_130_11.PDF
https://supertlumacz.pl/13-przesadow-z-roznych-
krajow-swiata/
https://jezyki-swiata.blogspot.com/2021/05/japonskie-
przesady.html
https://turningdutch.com/2018/11/13/a-british-
superstition-hello-mr-magpie-hows-your-wife/
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_superstition_in_
psychology/article.htm