Graduate Program

Clinical Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2006

Thesis Director

Russell Gruber

Thesis Committee Member

Anu Sharma

Thesis Committee Member

Marjorie Hanft-Martone

Abstract

The current study examined several variables to determine their effects on telepathy performance. Part I used groups of participants who attempted to telepathically send the location oftargets to a receiver selected randomly from the group. Fifteen sessions were conducted during which 9 receivers each completed 16 trials. It was hypothesized that an order effect would be present with increased missing during the first and last run of each session. It was also hypothesized that belief in mental telepathy would influence telepathy scores. Results indicated significant differences when comparing positions 1 and 9 with positions 2-8. Scores, while not significant, tended to decrease surrounding a mid-session break. Additionally, participants with a high belief in mental telepathy scored significantly below chance. Part II contained 3 sets (A, B, and C) during which research assistants attempted to send telepathic information to groups of participants. During Set C, instructions were given to "miss" the target. Scores for Set A and C were significantly below chance levels. It was predicted that those who participated in Part I would perform better than those who did not. A trend was found for participants with experience (completed Part I) to score above those without experience on all three sets. These findings support the hypothesis that belief in mental telepathy, order within session, experience, and instructions to miss, all influence telepathy performance.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS