Psychic Research Methods and Evidence 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In parapsychology research, what is the primary purpose of using a 'forced-choice' experimental design?
- To limit participants to selecting from a fixed set of targets, making statistical analysis clearer (Correct answer)
- To force participants to use psychic abilities they claim not to have
- To eliminate the need for a control group
- To ensure the experimenter knows which target was selected
Correct answer: To limit participants to selecting from a fixed set of targets, making statistical analysis clearer
Forced-choice designs restrict responses to a defined target set, enabling straightforward calculation of chance probability and statistical deviation.
Question 2: What does a 'file-drawer problem' refer to in psychic research?
- Lost experimental data due to poor record-keeping
- Unpublished negative studies that bias the apparent evidence toward positive results (Correct answer)
- The tendency for subjects to hide their true psychic abilities
- A methodological flaw in remote viewing protocols
Correct answer: Unpublished negative studies that bias the apparent evidence toward positive results
The file-drawer problem occurs when studies with null or negative results go unpublished, inflating the apparent success rate of psi research.
Question 3: Which statistical measure is most commonly used to assess ESP card-guessing performance against chance?
- Standard deviation only
- The p-value from a binomial or z-test (Correct answer)
- The Pearson correlation coefficient
- An ANOVA F-ratio
Correct answer: The p-value from a binomial or z-test
Researchers use p-values derived from binomial or z-tests to determine whether hit rates significantly exceed chance expectations.
Question 4: What is the role of a 'judge' in a free-response psi experiment such as a ganzfeld study?
- To administer electric shocks as feedback
- To blindly rank or match transcripts of receiver impressions against target images (Correct answer)
- To select which targets will be used in the session
- To monitor the sender's brainwaves during transmission
Correct answer: To blindly rank or match transcripts of receiver impressions against target images
Blind judging involves comparing receiver reports to potential targets without knowing which was the actual target, providing an unbiased scoring method.
Question 5: Why do critics emphasize the importance of pre-registration in psi experiments?
- It prevents participants from practicing before the study
- It stops researchers from changing hypotheses or analyses after seeing the data (Correct answer)
- It guarantees that results will be published regardless of outcome
- It limits the number of trials to reduce data dredging
Correct answer: It stops researchers from changing hypotheses or analyses after seeing the data
Pre-registration locks in hypotheses and analysis plans before data collection, preventing post-hoc adjustment that can produce spurious significant findings.
Question 6: In meta-analyses of remote viewing studies, what is a 'standardized effect size' used to measure?
- The number of trials needed to reach significance
- The magnitude of psi performance relative to chance, expressed in standard deviation units (Correct answer)
- The percentage of studies that found positive results
- The reliability of the judges scoring the transcripts
Correct answer: The magnitude of psi performance relative to chance, expressed in standard deviation units
Effect size (often Cohen's d or z/√N) quantifies how large the psi effect is relative to variability, allowing comparison across studies with different sample sizes.
Question 7: What is 'sensory leakage' and why is it a concern in psi research?
- A participant revealing their guesses to the experimenter mid-session
- Ordinary sensory information inadvertently reaching the receiver and mimicking psi results (Correct answer)
- The tendency for subjects to unconsciously emit detectable psychic energy
- A calibration error in EEG equipment used during telepathy trials
Correct answer: Ordinary sensory information inadvertently reaching the receiver and mimicking psi results
Sensory leakage refers to non-paranormal cues — such as sounds, smells, or visual hints — that could explain apparently successful psi performance without invoking paranormal explanations.
Psychic Research Methods and Evidence 2
In parapsychology research, what is the primary purpose of using a 'forced-choice' experimental design?