This project explores why some people live charmed lives, and develops techniques that enable others to enhance their good fortune. The project began in 1994 and has involved hundreds of exceptionally lucky and unlucky people. These findings have been published in Prof Wiseman's bestselling book The Luck Factor. Current work examines how these ideas can be applied in organisational and business settings.

Additional information

Further information about The Luck Factor.

Did You Spot The Gorilla?: Prof Wiseman's latest book on luck profiled in The Times.

Download an article on The Luck Factor (144k, PDF).

Latest research

The Surnames Experiment

The Small World Experiment

The Superstition Survey

Online resources

BBC Online article on luck

Fast Company article on good fortune in business

Are some people born lucky? BBC Online investigates.

Selected references

Chotai, J. & Wiseman, R. (2005). Born lucky? The relationship between feeling lucky and month of birth. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 1451-1460. Download PDF (148k).

Smith, M. D., Wiseman, R., Machin, D., Harris, P. & Joiner, R. (1997). Luckiness, competition, and performance on a psi task. Journal of Parapsychology, 61, 33-44.

Smith, M. D., Wiseman, R. & Harris, P. (2000). The relationship between 'luck' and psi. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 94, 25-36.

Wiseman, R. & Watt, C. (2004). Measuring superstitious belief: Why lucky charms matter. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 1533-1541. Download PDF (132k)

Wiseman, R. (2003). The Luck Factor. London, UK: Random House.

Wiseman, R. (2004). Did you spot the gorilla? How to recognise hidden opportunities in your life. London, UK: Random House.

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