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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Methods to Test Visual Attention Online
09:44

Methods to Test Visual Attention Online

Published on: February 19, 2015

12.6K

Is Joint Attention Detectable at a Distance? Three Automated, Internet-Based Tests.

Rupert Sheldrake1, Ashweeni Beeharee2

  • 120 Willow Road, London NW3 1TJ, UK.

Explore (New York, N.Y.)
|December 15, 2015
PubMed
Summary

This study investigated if people could sense when their partner viewed the same image simultaneously, even at great distances. Results showed a slight, statistically significant ability to detect shared attention, suggesting a subtle connection beyond sensory cues.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Parapsychology

Background:

  • Joint attention involves shared focus on an object, often facilitated by sensory cues like gaze direction.
  • It may also involve a subtle mental resonance between individuals.
  • Understanding joint attention is key to social cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if individuals can perceive when their partner is viewing the same visual stimulus concurrently.
  • To test for this phenomenon across significant geographical distances.

Main Methods:

  • Participants were paired online and simultaneously presented with one of two images.
  • After a brief viewing period, they guessed if their partner saw the same image.
  • The proportion of correct guesses was compared against chance expectation.
Keywords:
automated testinternet experimentjoint attentionmental resonance

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Methods to Test Visual Attention Online
09:44

Methods to Test Visual Attention Online

Published on: February 19, 2015

12.6K
A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers
12:39

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers

Published on: January 18, 2020

8.3K
Author Spotlight: An Automated Method for Assessing Visual Acuity in Infants and Toddlers Using an Eye-Tracking System
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Author Spotlight: An Automated Method for Assessing Visual Acuity in Infants and Toddlers Using an Eye-Tracking System

Published on: March 17, 2023

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Main Results:

  • Across experiments totaling over 22,000 trials, the hit rate for correctly guessing shared viewing was consistently above chance (52.8%, 51.3%, 51.9%).
  • The accuracy did not significantly decrease with increasing distance between partners (over 1000 miles).
  • Immediate feedback on guess accuracy did not improve performance.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides evidence for a subtle ability to detect joint attention beyond conventional sensory mechanisms.
  • This effect appears to persist regardless of geographical separation.
  • Further research is needed to explore the nature of this potential 'mental resonance'.