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Covariation bias and paranormal belief
1Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Giessen, Germany.
Psychological Reports
|February 1, 1996
Summary
Believers in extrasensory perception (ESP) overestimated telepathy success, unlike skeptics. Psychophysiological responses like heart rate and arousal in believers were linked to their belief in paranormal phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Parapsychology
Background:
- Extrasensory perception (ESP) research often involves evaluating belief systems.
- Understanding the psychological and physiological factors influencing belief in paranormal phenomena is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cognitive and psychophysiological differences between believers and skeptics in a telepathy experiment.
- To examine the role of covariation bias in maintaining paranormal beliefs.
Main Methods:
- A telepathy experiment was conducted with 22 believers and 20 skeptics of ESP.
- Participants judged the covariation between transmitted symbols and receiver feedback.
- Physiological measures (heart rate, arousal) and subjective estimates were recorded.
Main Results:
- Believers overestimated successful transmissions ('hits'), while skeptics made accurate judgments.
- Believers showed positive correlations between hit-responses, heart rate, and subjective arousal.
- This pattern of psychophysiological response was not observed in skeptics.
Conclusions:
- Covariation bias, a cognitive error, appears to play a significant role in sustaining belief in paranormal phenomena.
- Psychophysiological responses are linked to belief maintenance in ESP.
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