1. ANOMALISTIC PSYCHOLOGY
ISSUES OF PSEUDOSCIENCE AND SCIENTIFIC FRAUD

2. 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?

3. 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?

4. 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!

5. 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.

6. 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?

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Lack of ability to change
Psi phenomena have continued to be explained in the same way for centuries despite lack of evidence.

13. 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?

15. SCIENTIFIC FRAUD EXAMPLES: The Soal affair J.B. Rhine Carl Sargent
Any others

16. 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?

17. 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
• Explanations for superstitious behaviour and magical thinking
• Personality factors underlying anomalous experience
Research into exceptional
• Psychological research into and explanations for psychic healing, near
death and out of body experiences, and psychic mediumship

18. Scientific Fraud
No longer a specific unit on the specification - but is useful in drawing out issues around the scientific status of parapsychology

19. 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.

20. 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’.

21. Uri Geller http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9w7jHYriFo
Interesting but he is a showman not a scientist

22. 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.