Bringing psi into the lab

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Bringing psi into the lab
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Session aims

• to give overview of experimental parapsychology
• evolution of experimental approach
• overview of methods
• overview and evaluation of early findings

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Experimental approach
controlled study of psi in lab

• assumes psi ability, if real, is widespread
• pioneered by J. B. Rhine in 1930s
• examines small effects using statistics

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Zener cards
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Rhine revolution

• Rhines methods relied upon probability theory...

• did subjects obtain more hits than expected by
  chance?
• if so, perhaps high scores reflect psi?
• ... many of Rhines subjects did obtain scores
  unlikely to occur by chance...

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Rhines high scorers

• Adam Linzmayer
• psychology undergraduate
• 1931 - 600 tests (32247 trials) - mean of 9.9
• 1931-1933 further 2000 trials - mean fallen to
  5.6 (still highly significant)
• Hubert Pearce
• divinity student
• In 90 consecutive runs averaged 9.7 hits
• 1933-34 - 1850 trials...
• Scored 558 hits (370 expected by chance)
• Odds of 22 billion to 1 against chance

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Evaluating Rhines approach
strengths?
weaknesses?

• controlled procedures
• testing normal people means results
  generalizable
• procedures easy to replicate

• not true to real experiences
• critics have identified flawed procedures

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Proof-oriented vs.process-oriented research

• proof-oriented
• aims to demonstrate existence of psi
• basic findings
• decline effect
• psi hitting psi missing
• displacement
• process-oriented
• what factors influence psi performance?

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Sheep-goat effect

• sheep people who believe ESP is possible
• goats people who believe ESP is NOT possible
• first identified by Gertrude Schmeidler
• 692 sheep had mean of 5.23 hits per run
• 465 goats had mean of 4.93
• recent overviews of research suggests small but
  consistent effect

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Free-response vs.forced-choice methods
forced-choice
free-response

• target can be anything... typically photographs,
  art-prints, etc.
• one trial per session
• requires blind judging of subjects response
• comparable to real-life experiences

• target one of fixed number of alternatives (e.g.
  5 Zener symbols)
• large number of trials per session (can be
  tedious!)
• simple to score
• lacks ecological validity (i.e., unlike
  real-life psi experiences)

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Dreams

• Maimonides Dream Laboratory (1960s)
• developed free-response ESP methods
• 7 out of 15 formal studies showed positive
  results
• University of Edinburgh (1990s)
• participant/experimenters record nights dreams
• target randomly selected by computer during night
  
• next morning... experimenters blind judge their
  dreams against 4 possible targets
• 2 studies conducted... both with positive results

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Remote viewing

• SRI International (1970s)
• randomly selected geographical targets
• highly significant results with selected subjects
• criticised by Marks and Kamman (1980)
• Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab
  (1980s)
• 336 formal trials with highly significant
  results
• criticised by Hansen et al. (1992)

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PK research methods

• most principles of ESP research apply (especially
  with micro-PK)
• need for barrier between psychic and target
• deviation from chance expectation
• random target sequence

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Micro-PKtargets and testing procedures

• dice test
• developed by Rhine
• task was to make dice land with predetermined
  face uppermost
• used electromechanical device to release dice
• placement test
• other mechanical targets
• e.g., Cascade (PEAR lab)

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Micro-PKtargets and testing procedures

• random event generators (REG)
• originated with Schmidt machines
• based on true random source (e.g., radioactive
  decay)
• can link to computers with graphic displays
• (Note computer randomisation procedures are
  pseudo-random)
• biological systems
• referred to as Bio-PK or Direct Mental
  Interactions between Living Systems)
• e.g., influencing another persons physiology
  from a distance
• relevance to healing

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Some issues raised by experimental approach

• Does significant result prove psi?
• Are findings replicable?
• e.g. experimenter effect
• Who is the source of psi?
• e.g. experimenter psi