Content uploaded by William E Kelly
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by William E Kelly on Sep 10, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Entranced by the Night Sky: Psychological Absorption and Noctcaelador
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between noctcaelador (interest and attachment to the night-sky) and psychological absorption. College students (N = 100) completed the Noctcaelador Inventory (Kelly, 2004) and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (Tellegen, 1982; Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974). Noctcaelador was significantly, positively related to absorption. Regression results revealed that the elements of absorption most related to noctcaelador included becoming absorbed in engaging stimuli and absorptive dissociation.
... Noctcaelador has been related to a miscellany of individual differences variables in student samples. For instance, noctcaelador has been associated with higher openness to experience (Kelly, 2004b), investigative and artistic vocational interests (Kelly, 2005a), sensation-seeking (Kelly, 2007), a rational, cognitive approach to problem solving and need for cognition (Kelly, 2005b), a propensity to engage in fantasy , a tendency to become deeply involved and attentive to stimuli of interest (Kelly, Daughtry, & Kelly, 2006), and a willingness to consider unusual ideas and possibilities (Kelly & Daughtry, 2005). ...
This study explored the relationship between academic orientation, academic achievement, and interest in night-sky watching (noctcaelador). Participants included 117 students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes who completed the Survey of Academic Orientations (SAO; Davidson, Beck, & Silver, 1999), Noctcaelador Inventory (NI; Kelly, 2004), and self-reported their overall college grade-point averages (GPA). Regression analyses indicated that together the six academic orientation factors and GPA accounted for 13% of the variance in NI scores. However, only the Reading for Pleasure and Mistrust of Instructors factors of the SAO had a direct significant relationship with NI scores. These results characterize students interested in watching the night-sky as being interested in reading from diverse sources and being more likely to think of instructors as unfair and unempathic regarding students' concerns.
... In contrast, dark sky enthusiast visitors have developed a profound attachment to dark skies, and they intend to seek what Kelly et al. (2006) have described as "psychological absorption" with dark sky sites. This is reflected in various motivations expressed by our participants, including being immersed in contemplative atmospheres, learning new astronomical knowledge, and appreciating astronomical phenomena. ...
Dark sky tourism as a form of niche tourism is gaining popularity worldwide. However, empirical research examining what motivates tourists to seek out this type of experience is lacking. This research note contributes to bridging this knowledge gap by employing push-pull theory to explore tourists’ motivations for visiting dark sky sites. Adopting a qualitative netnographic approach, Chinese tourists’ perspectives were explored through twenty-two semi-structured interviews. Eleven thematic factors were extracted and mapped within a refined push and pull motivation framework. The findings show how push and pull factors motivate both first-time and repeat visitors to gain dark sky experiences.
... Nevertheless, much of the work that has investigated the psychological impact of night sky watching to date has been conducted by Kelly (2003;. In his original work, Kelly proposed that night sky-related behaviours and attitudes (Kelly, 2003;Kelly et al., 2006;Kelly & Kelly, 2003;Kelly & Kelly, 2014) are accounted for by a factor he termed "Noctcaelador" which he defines as an "emotional attachment to, or adoration for, the night sky" (Kelly, 2003, p. 196). Kelly also developed the first measure of Noctcaelador (the Noctcaelador Index). ...
Whilst there is a growing interest in people's relationship with the natural world, much of the literature in this area tends to focus on daytime behaviour. There is far less research that attempts to understand the importance of people's relationship to natural environments at night and particularly towards the night sky. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design, develop and validate a new measure - the Night Sky Connectedness Index (NSCI). The items of the NSCI were created and based on relevant theory, similar types of measures, and stakeholder consultation – for both the generation and selection of items. The psychometric properties were assessed using a sample of 406 people from the general population – with any level of interest in the night sky - and of these 115 completed a test-retest follow-up survey. Exploratory Factor Analysis and reliability testing resulted in a 12-item measure with two subscales: Connection to, and Protection of the night sky. The NSCI demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency for the overall scale and for each of its subscales and shows strong test-retest reliability. There was also strong evidence for the scale's convergent, discriminant and construct validity. In addition, the findings indicated that a greater connection to the night sky was significantly and positively related to a person's mental health and happiness. Our research also suggests that those people who live in more light-polluted areas are less connected to the night sky and feel less likely to protect it. The NSCI may be useful when, (i) investigating pro-environmental and conservation behaviour, (ii) assessing the efficacy of strategies or interventions aimed at reducing light pollution, (iii) helping to restore the human-night sky relationship, (iv) informing policy and responsible lighting use, and (v) rewilding our night skies to protect our natural environment and cultural heritage.
... The lineage of human observations and uses of the night sky and the beliefs and practices produced from this activity provide evidence to support astronality's prehistoric origins. Beyond Astronist doctrine, concepts similar to astronality have emerged in literature on psychology, namely the construct 'noctcaelador', which in turn advances astronality's legitimacy due to its discussion in non-Astronist discourses (Kelly 2006). Moreover, a recent aim of Astronist theory has been to trace the existence of astronality back through time to the prehistoric past which resulted in an Astronist theory for the origins of religion (Cometan 2020). ...
A new religion was founded in 2013 that goes by the name of Astronism while its community of followers are known as Astronists. This article gives a rigorous account of the eschatology, soteriology and worldview of this new space religion while contextualizing its emergence as part of a broader Astronic religious tradition. This proposed tradition may itself possess prehistoric roots in the Upper Palaeolithic in the earliest human observations of the night sky. Human beings in turn came to establish a relationship with celestial phenomena, one of both spiritual and secular utility that has since produced systems of astrotheism and astrology. In the contemporary, the projection of the Astronist theory of history onto the Astronic tradition has meant that Astronism’s salvific doctrine of transcension is established as a grand narrative and universal ethic that unites the Astronic tradition. In essence, this article considers how Astronism, as a new religious movement, is working to revive astronomical religion, albeit in ways relevant in an age of space exploration and appropriate to modern scientific knowledge about humanity’s true place in the universe.
The relation between reading for pleasure, night-sky watching interest, and openness to experience were examined in a sample of 129 college students. Results of a path analysis examining a mediation model indicated that the influence of night-sky interest on reading for pleasure was not mediated by the broad personality domain openness to experience. Mediations were small. Path analysis revealed that the predictive power of night-sky interest was twice as strong as openness to experience for reading for pleasure. The results, implications for educators, and directions for future research are discussed.
The present study investigated the relationship between gender roles and night-sky watching in a sample of college students (N= 161). The Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Noctcaelador Inventory (NI) were used to investigate the differences between gender role groups for night-sky watching. The results supported the hypothesis that androgynous individuals would report more night-sky watching. The hypothesis that individuals with a feminine gender role would score higher on night-sky watching was not supported. The results and suggestions for future research were discussed.
This study explored the relationship between interest in watching the night sky (noctcaelador), dissociative experiences, and hallucination-proneness in a non-clinical sample. University students (N= 101) completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale, Revised Hallucinations Scale, and the Noctcaelador Inventory. Correlation results indicated that noctcaelador was significantly, positively related to hallucination-proneness (especially vivid daydreaming and visual hallucinations), and positively, but not significantly, related to dissociative experiences. A factor analysis of measures of noctcaelador and the subscales of the dissociative experiences and hallucination scales revealed two factors. One factor included all of the dissociative subscales. The second factor included all of the hallucination subscales, the noctcaelador measure, and secondary loadings of fantasy and depersonalization scales of the dissociative measure. The results and possible explanations are discussed.
This study explored the relationship between sensation-seeking and positive attitudes and behaviors related to night-sky watching (noctcaelador). College students {N= 104) completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS) and the Noctcaelador Inventory (NI). The NI was significantly, positively related to BSSS full scale scores. Further, although NI scores were positively related to all BSSS subscales, regression analyses indicated that Experience Seeking was the only BSSS sub-scale that predicted significant, unique variance in NI scores. The results and limitations are discussed.
Cometan delivers a short lecture explaining some of the basic, fundamental beliefs of his Astronist religion and philosophy in a way that is digestible for audiences of all kinds yet still captures the immensity of the astronomical subject at hand.
Cometan creates a brief yet impactful presentation explaining some of the basic components of the Astronist belief system, perfect for audiences that haven't ever come across Astronism beforehand.
This study replicated and expanded Kelly's (2003) study which identified an underlying factor influencing night-sky watching attitudes. Undergraduate students (N=100) responded to questions assessing night-sky watching behaviors and the influence of opportunities to watch the night-sky on other behaviors. Consistent with Kelly 's original study, a single underlying construct (identified as noctcaelador) was found underlying responses to all items.
This study examined the criterion-group validity of the Noctcaelador Inventory, a scale that purports to measure strong interest in, and attachment to, the night-sky. Participants included 95 members of astronomical societies and 95 college student controls drawn from a larger normative database. Significant differences were fotind on noctcaelador scores: astronomical society members scored significantly higher than the control sample. The results supported the validity of the inventory as a measure of interest in, and psychological attachment to, the night-sky.
The intent of this study was to determine if people who were highly attached to pets and /or nature would have higher levels of dissod-ation and absorption as measured by the Dissodative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS). Three hundred and five college students were given the DES, the TAS, the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ) and five questions devised to measure attachment to nature. Correlational analyses showed pet attachment was significantly correlated with both dissodation and absorption, while high nature attachment was significantly related to absorption but not significantly related to dissodation. Forty-one percent of subjects with high pet attachment had clinical levels of dissodation. As dissodation is often related to trauma, pet attachments may provide a compensatory relationship for people with histories of trauma. An attachment to nature may be indicative of seeking an experience of sensory absorption, but not a relationship.
For 35 college students, scores on an absorption scale (designed to measure openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences) significantly correlated with ratings of how much they liked music. After completing the scale, each S listened to and rated selections of classical, new age, rock, and country music. Correlation between the absorption scale scores and the mean rating scores collapsed across all types of music was significantly greater than zero. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Bernstein and Putnam (1986) recently developed the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a reliable and valid measure of dissociative experiences. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of the DES to other measures of psychopathology and cognitive functioning. Seventy-six female and 43 male university students were administered the DES, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), and the Barnes-Vulcano Rationality Test (BVRT). A standard multiple regression was computed that used the DES as the criterion variable and the HSCL-90, MOCI, TAS, and BVRT as predictor variables. The results showed that 61% of the variance for DES scores could be predicted by three subscales of the HSCL-90 (Phobic Anxiety, Anger-Hostility, Somatization) and the TAS and BVRT. The importance of the relationship between the predictor variables and the DES for understanding dissociative disorders, especially multiple personality disorder, was discussed.