Objective measurement of paranormal belief: a rebuttal to Vitulli.

Effects of age and sex in paranormal belief remain controversial because issues of scaling and differential item function are not given due attention. Therefore, in response to the recent debate between Irwin and Vitulli, these issues are reviewed and validated as crucial approaches for obtaining an objective measure of paranormal belief. A Rasch version of Tobacyk's Paranormal Belief Scale has been developed, but research with this scale suggests that--contrary to past literature and recently refined studies--age and sex are neither consistent nor crucial factors mediating paranormal belief.