CPI CPI Witness Psychology & Debunking 2

Question 1

What is infrasound, and how can it contribute to false paranormal reports?

Accepted Answer

Sound frequencies below 20 Hz that humans cannot consciously hear but can cause feelings of unease, dread, or visual disturbances

Answer

Infrasound (below 20 Hz) is inaudible to conscious hearing but can cause feelings of dread, unease, and even visual disturbances in eyeball resonance, leading people to believe locations are haunted.

Question 2

Which debunking step should an investigator perform when a client reports cold spots in a specific room?

Accepted Answer

Check for drafts, HVAC vents, window gaps, and use a thermal camera to map temperature distribution before attributing it to paranormal causes

Answer

Cold spots should first be investigated for mundane sources such as HVAC vents, drafts, or thermal bridging using a thermal camera before any paranormal attribution is considered.

Question 3

What role does 'sleep paralysis' play in some paranormal witness reports?

Accepted Answer

It is a neurological state where a person is conscious but cannot move, often accompanied by vivid hallucinations of figures or presences, which can be misinterpreted as paranormal encounters

Answer

Sleep paralysis is a neurological state in which the body remains immobilized upon waking while the mind is conscious, frequently producing vivid hallucinations that witnesses may interpret as paranormal entities.

Question 4

A client reports lights flickering and believes it is a paranormal sign. What should an investigator do first?

Accepted Answer

Inspect the electrical system, check for loose connections, aging wiring, or a failing ballast before considering paranormal causes

Answer

Flickering lights should first be evaluated for electrical causes such as loose connections, aging wiring, or failing bulb ballasts before any paranormal interpretation is entertained.

Question 5

What is the 'Texas sharpshooter fallacy' and how might it affect paranormal evidence analysis?

Accepted Answer

The tendency to identify patterns in random data after the fact and attribute significance to them, such as selecting only the best-seeming EVPs while ignoring hundreds of unremarkable recordings

Answer

The Texas sharpshooter fallacy occurs when investigators cherry-pick compelling anomalies from large data sets while ignoring the vast number of unremarkable recordings, inflating the apparent significance of findings.

(CPI) Certified Paranormal Investigator Practice Test

(CPI) Certified Paranormal Investigator Practice Test

CPI CPI Witness Psychology & Debunking 2