TOUCHING wood is the most common superstition in the United Kingdom, and the Scots are the most superstitious people.

Lucky charms and rituals are more common in Scotland because Scots are more anxious about life, says a psychologist who conducted a study in conjunction with the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, said: “The Scots are the least optimistic, the most likely to consider themselves unlucky and the most anxious about their lives. These are all factors that we think contribute to a belief in superstition.”

Some 46 per cent of Scots consider themselves very or somewhat superstitious, compared with 42 per cent of the English, 41 per cent of the Welsh and 40 per cent of the Northern Irish, according to analysis of more than 2,000 responses to an online poll.

In the UK as a whole, 77 per cent of people admitted to being at least a little superstitious, compared with 53 per found in a poll of Americans. And 51 per cent of women said they were very or somewhat superstitious, compared with 29 per cent of men.

“There was a huge difference, especially with the most common superstitions such as touching wood,” Dr Wiseman said. “It may have something to do with lower self esteem, but women are well established to have a higher level of belief in the paranormal in general.”

The most common superstition is touching wood, which 74 per cent of people do from time to time. Crossed fingers is next with 65 per cent, followed by avoiding walking under ladders (50 per cent), fear that smashed mirrors bring seven years of bad luck (39 per cent), carrying a lucky charm (28 per cent) and avoiding the number 13 (26 per cent).

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