Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus
The replicability crisis in psychology has been influenced by the results of nine experiments conducted by Bem (2011) and presented as supporting the existence of precognition. In this paper, we hope to show how the debate concerning these experiments could be an opportunity to develop original thin...
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doaj-a0522d06c56047c485967668d02721462020-11-25T03:26:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782020-09-011110.3389/fpsyg.2020.562992562992Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of SisyphusThomas Rabeyron0Thomas Rabeyron1Université de Lorraine, Interpsy, Nancy, FranceUniversity of Edinburgh, KPU, Edinburgh, United KingdomThe replicability crisis in psychology has been influenced by the results of nine experiments conducted by Bem (2011) and presented as supporting the existence of precognition. In this paper, we hope to show how the debate concerning these experiments could be an opportunity to develop original thinking about psychology and replicability. After a few preliminary remarks about psi and scientific epistemology, we examine how psi results lead to a paradox which questions how appropriate the scientific method is to psi research. This paradox highlights a problem in the way experiments are conducted in psi research and its potential consequence on mainstream research in psychology. Two classical experiments – the Ganzfeld protocol and the Bem studies – are then analyzed in order to illustrate this paradox and its consequences. Mainstream research is also addressed in the broader context of the replication crisis, decline effect and questionable research practices. Several perspectives for future research are proposed in conclusion and underline the heuristic value of psi studies for psychology.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.562992/fullpsiprecognitionreplicability crisispre-registrationmethodology |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Thomas Rabeyron Thomas Rabeyron |
spellingShingle |
Thomas Rabeyron Thomas Rabeyron Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus Frontiers in Psychology psi precognition replicability crisis pre-registration methodology |
author_facet |
Thomas Rabeyron Thomas Rabeyron |
author_sort |
Thomas Rabeyron |
title |
Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus |
title_short |
Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus |
title_full |
Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus |
title_fullStr |
Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus |
title_full_unstemmed |
Why Most Research Findings About Psi Are False: The Replicability Crisis, the Psi Paradox and the Myth of Sisyphus |
title_sort |
why most research findings about psi are false: the replicability crisis, the psi paradox and the myth of sisyphus |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Psychology |
issn |
1664-1078 |
publishDate |
2020-09-01 |
description |
The replicability crisis in psychology has been influenced by the results of nine experiments conducted by Bem (2011) and presented as supporting the existence of precognition. In this paper, we hope to show how the debate concerning these experiments could be an opportunity to develop original thinking about psychology and replicability. After a few preliminary remarks about psi and scientific epistemology, we examine how psi results lead to a paradox which questions how appropriate the scientific method is to psi research. This paradox highlights a problem in the way experiments are conducted in psi research and its potential consequence on mainstream research in psychology. Two classical experiments – the Ganzfeld protocol and the Bem studies – are then analyzed in order to illustrate this paradox and its consequences. Mainstream research is also addressed in the broader context of the replication crisis, decline effect and questionable research practices. Several perspectives for future research are proposed in conclusion and underline the heuristic value of psi studies for psychology. |
topic |
psi precognition replicability crisis pre-registration methodology |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.562992/full |
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AT thomasrabeyron whymostresearchfindingsaboutpsiarefalsethereplicabilitycrisisthepsiparadoxandthemythofsisyphus AT thomasrabeyron whymostresearchfindingsaboutpsiarefalsethereplicabilitycrisisthepsiparadoxandthemythofsisyphus |
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