ANOMALISTIC
PSYCHOLOGY
ISSUES OF
PSEUDOSCIENCE AND
SCIENTIFIC FRAUD
INTRODUCTION
The term ‘anomalous’
Something that is irregular and doesn’t fit
into existing explanations
Two kinds of evidence :
Personal (anecdotal)
Scientific (empirical)
ISSUE = is paranormal psychology a
pseudoscience?
PSEUDOSCIENCE
A field of study that looks like a science
but lacks certain important characteristics.
What should real science look like?
What does pseudoscience look like?
Irrefutable Hypothesis
It is not possible to prove a hypothesis correct
but you can prove it wrong (falsify it).
However, this is not possible in this particular
field because some paranormal psychologists
then claim that the lack of supporting evidence is
due to sceptics being present which leads to...
Non-falsifiable hypothesis!
Jealous phenomena
Paranormal psychologists have suggested that
the lack of positive results in studies of ESP
occurs because the presence of sceptics causes
the phenomena to go away
They say that the phenomena are ‘jealous’.
They also suggest that any sceptical attitudes
from researchers affect the phenomena so that
nothing will be found.
Lacks controlled, replicable
research
Some studies of psi phenomena are highly
controlled but many are not and cannot be
replicated
Why does a study need to be replicated?
Lacks a theory to explain the
effects
The aim of scientific research is to construct
explanations for observations made about the
world.
Many paranormal phenomena have not been
given explanations that are likely.
In science a disproof leads to proposing an
alternative explanation
In pseudoscience a disproof results in criticisms
of an aspect of the methodology.
Burden of proof
Supporters of psi phenomena require no
proof and say its up to sceptics to disprove
their reality.
Such disproof is difficult because, for
example, the hypothesis lacks falsifiability.
Lack of ability to change
Psi phenomena have
continued to be
explained in the same
way for centuries
despite lack of
evidence.
These photos prove that fairies exist.
Discuss
Your conclusion?
Can you prove that the photos are not
fake?
Can you prove that the photos are fake?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4qGfN
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SCIENTIFIC FRAUD
EXAMPLES:
The Soal affair
J.B. Rhine
Carl Sargent
Any others
Scientific Fraud: the issues
What reasons would motivate scientists to
‘cheat’?
What damage could this fraud cause?
Why might a researcher see it as ‘worth
the risk’?
Do you think that fraud in
parapsychology/anomalistic psychology is
more significant than in other sciences?
The study of anomalous experience
• Pseudoscience and the scientific status of parapsychology
• Methodological issues related to the study of paranormal cognition
(ESP, including Ganzfeld) and paranormal action (psychokinesis)
Explanations for anomalous
experience
• The role of coincidence and probability judgements in anomalous
experience
• Explanations for superstitious behaviour and magical thinking
• Personality factors underlying anomalous experience
Research into exceptional
experience
• Psychological research into and explanations for psychic healing, near
death and out of body experiences, and psychic mediumship
Scientific Fraud
No longer a specific unit on the
specification - but is useful in drawing out
issues around the scientific status of
parapsychology
S. G. Soal
British parapsychologist S. G. Soal wanted to repeat the
results of J. B. Rhine, who investigated ESP, and had
found statistically significant results. His amazing psychic
was a guy called Shakleton
J. B. Rhine’s methodology was severely criticised.
Soal’s detailed methodology appeared to have
eliminated the loopholes identified in Rhine’s study.
Rumours circulated about cheating in Soal’s research,
but it took around 40 years to establish that he’d altered
results to make them appear more impressive.
James Randi: Project Alpha
He used 2 collaborators (young
magicians). They were instructed to
present themselves to the McDonnell
Laboratory for Psychical Research at
Washington University.
The McDonnell researchers described
them as ‘gifted psychic subjects’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1S5CR
cqJQo
Uri Geller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9w7jH
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Interesting but he is a showman not a
scientist
Scientific Fraud: Summary
Credibility: fraud damages the reputation of academic
psychology
Ethical Issues: the researchers are not only deceiving
their participants, but also their colleagues and the wider
public.
Researchers may see fraud as worth the risk. Either
because they are frustrated by the lack of support for
their beliefs, or to gain funding and status.
Scientific fraud in parapsychology is significant
because results supporting the existence of paranormal
forces would require the rejection, or at least major
revision of many other generally accepted scientific
theories.