Latest research by a UK licensed lottery website has revealed the extent to which we Brits alter our plans based on certain superstitions, dreams and horoscopes. Respondents polled from the South West emerged as the most likely to let these things alter their plans, with North East residents the least likely to let such circumstances affect their plans. Furthermore, the top reasons revealed for Britons letting superstitions, dreams and horoscopes affect their plans were 'premonition of bad news' and 'being an unlucky person'.
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According to a new study, those living in the South West of England and in Wales are the most likely to allow superstitions, dreams and horoscopes to affect their plans. However, only 33% of Britons considered themselves to be superstitious when questioned by researchers at a leading lottery website.
In order to discover how big an impact the theory of fate, destiny and luck has on the average Briton's life, the team at online company.Lottoland polled a total of 2,218 people aged 18 and over from all around the UK. Participants were a balanced range of ages and from an equal spread of regions, in order to ensure unbiased results and a fair range of responses.
Researchers initially asked respondents 'Do you consider yourself to be superstitious?' to which the majority of Britons (67%) stated that they did not consider themselves to be superstitious. Only 33% of respondents revealed that they considered themselves to be superstitious.
All participants were then asked to consider the superstitions they believed in, as well as any telling dreams or horoscopes they'd previously had or read; before researchers asked them 'Have you ever changed plans based on a horoscope, superstition or dream?' Results were broken down by region and revealed as follows:
• South West - 63% (of respondents from this region had done so)•
Wales- 57%•
South East- 51%•
North West - 49%•
Scotland - 44%•
London - 38%•
West Midlands- 33%•
East Midlands - 29% •
Northern Ireland - 24%•
East of England- 21%•
Yorkshire & Humberside - 17%•
North East - 11%
Respondents who had changed their plans based on dreams, superstitions or horoscopes were then asked by researchers to reveal the reasons why. 'Having a dream or horoscope that predicted bad news' was revealed as the top reason (37%) why Britons changed their plans, whilst 26% of respondents stated 'I'm an unlucky person', and 14% of respondents said they 'feared an untimely death/injury'.
Dan Hawkins, spokesperson for Lottoland.co.uk, made the following comments regarding the results of the study:
"Whilst superstitions and horoscopes are commonly seen as meaningless or futile, our research has shown that a lot of Britons' thinking is not as straightforward as that, and many allow fate or destiny to affect their decision-making regularly. I have to admit that I was a bit shocked at the number of respondents who admitted to changing plans based on something they'd read, dreamt or predicted, especially when so few admitted to being superstitious in the first place. The likelihood of being able to predetermine your fate is of course very slim, but Britons are clearly letting it dictate their plans. If I were being truthful, I'd say there's more chance of winning the lottery that being able to foresee your future accurately!"
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