Experiments: Anomalous Cognition in Homicide Investigations
From OpenSourceScience
Contents |
Introduction
The prevalence of psychic detectives accounts in the popular media has increased dramatically during the last ten years. This large body of cases present a consistent theme of skeptical law enforcement professional won over by the unexplainable ability of psychics to access otherwise unknown information. While the popularization of these cases, and the support of credible law enforcement professionals, has increased public acceptance of this unexplained investigative technique, serious research into the topic has lagged behind experience in the field. Few research projects have been undertaken. Research that has made its way into publication has too often been published by researchers with a history of dogmatic skepticism towards psi abilities.
The proposed research project offers a fresh examination of the psychic detective phenomena in a controlled format maximizing the opportunity to isolate and measure the reported anomalous cognition of psychic detectives.
Research Shortcomings
Little research into the psychic detective phenomena has been reported in the criminal justice and social science journals. The published research that does exist offers little insight into the phenomena widely reported by homicide detectives. For example, a survey of the 50 largest US police departments reported a third of agencies had consulted with a psychic on cases, but that the information received was no more helpful than other case related information (Sweat & Durm, 1993). Of course, such collections of anecdotal accounts stand in stark contrast to the anecdotal accounts of the many police detectives who have used psychic detectives effectively. This research does little to bridge the gap.
Similarly, the research “testing” of psychic detectives has often raised more questions than it answers. In 1996, well-known skeptics, Dr. Richard Wiseman and Dr. Donald West, conducted experiments with psychic detectives and found the accuracy of the information they provided to be no better than untrained college students (Wiseman, West, & Stemman, 1996). Test subjects were given items associated with crimes to handle. Wiseman, West, and Stemman reported psychics were no more accurate at predicting information about the crime, but that they provided answers three times longer, and with more dramatic language and confidence. While this explanation fits the commonly accepted skeptical explanation of psychic abilities as being a, “confidence game” between psychic and subject, it offers no real insight into the reported phenomena. It instead asks that we accept the “fairness” of the test as evidence for the null hypothesis researchers sought. And, it asks we accept the chance results of the control group as supporting evidence for their claim.
The current body of research into the psychic detective phenomena contains gaps and warrants further investigation. The design of the previous studies were not conducive to capturing and measuring the underlying anomalous cognition reported in psychic detective cases. Likewise, these studies sought to answer broad questions about the efficacy of psychic detective work without deconstructing and isolating the underling phenomena.
Researching The Psychic Detective Phenomena
In the following pages we discuss how this experiment can be undertaken, moving us closer to a consensus on this claimed ability of psychic detectives. We’ll also be exploring how to web-enable this experiment making it more cost-effective and accessible to the broadest possible audience. Please join us in this discussion.
References
O’Keefe, C. & Alison, L. (2000). Rhetoric in ‘psychic detection’. Journal for the Society of Psychical Research, 64(858), 26-38.
Reiser. M., Ludwig, L., Saxe, S., & Wagner, C. An evaluation of the use of psychics in the investigation of major crimes. Journal of Police Science and Administration, 7(1), 18-25.
Sweat, J.A., & Durm, M.W. (1993). Psychics: Do police departments really use them? Skeptical Inquire, Winter 1993, 148-158.
Wiseman, R., West, D., & Stemman, R. (1996). An experimental test of psychic detection. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 61(842), 34-45.
