How Commercialization of Paranormal Affects Its Credibility - Research Paper Example

How Commercialization of Paranormal Research Affects Its Credibility The interest in phenomena that cannot be easily explained by Science often attracts much attention. Soon after, if the phenomenon has captivated the minds of people, they share it with others who may also debate the truthfulness of the phenomenon. Businesses and people out to milk prospective money- makers often target the population of the naïve and gullible as well as the critical and skeptical individuals. In doing so, they generate more subscribers to the phenomenon whether these people believe it or not. This paper will explore how the commercialization or involvement of money or the potential marketability of ESP and other paranormal phenomena impacts the credibility of paranormal research. Research on Paranormal Psychology has been ongoing for many decades now. Over the years, it has been a struggle to categorize paranormal events as scientific. Goode identified four criteria which may distinguish paranormal thinking from scientific thinking. The first is that paranormal thinking is not grounded in empiricism. It is borne from witness accounts of unexplained events (Sharpes, et al.: 322). Another is that paranormal thinking is not uniform. It may be relative to the witnesses and believers. Still another criterion is that it is not falsifiable. Subjective experience is inherently believed by the person who experiences it and will defend such experience as truth. Finally, paranormal thinking makes use of teleological fallacies which science is out to dispute. Debies-Carl concludes that paranormal research presents a huge challenge to researchers. This is because it involves belief in phenomena that is not scientifically explainable (Horn:16). Credible research on this area may be hindered by a lack of agreement over the measurement of paranormalism (Derbies-Carl). Credibility is very much valued in the pursuit of truth. In order for research to be credible, it needs to prove its reliability and validity. Joppe defines reliability as: “The extent to which results are consistent over time and an accurate representation of the total population under study is referred to as reliability and if the results of a study can be reproduced under a similar methodology, then the research instrument is considered to be reliable” (1). This means that in testing an ability such as extra sensory perception (ESP), a subject should be able to consistently be successful in guessing the content of some cards without seeing them himself. This ability is tested under different settings, and the subject should remain consistently accurate in his guesses. In terms of validity, Joppe says, “Validity determines whether the research truly measures that which it was intended to measure or how truthful the research results are. In other words, does the research instrument allow you to hit "the bull’s eye" of your research object? Researchers generally determine validity by asking a series of questions, and will often look for the answers in the research of others” (1). Following the previous example of ESP, research findings may be considered valid if the ESP cards used on the subject truly measures what it intended to. Dr. Rhine of the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory and his team of scientists, relentlessly study ESP, psychokinesis, and other paranormal phenomena. They have found ways to elevate paranormal phenomena to the level worthy of scientific research. As such, the topic of paranormal psychology has gained much attention with the marriage of paranormal phenomena with science with the credible research done by Rhine and company. The full concentration of the team of scientists on the research at hand yielded them consistently reliable results. Their brilliant work interested other scientists to likewise take part in similar researches. Due to the scientific methods of research of Dr. Rhine and his team, many benefactors have been attracted to their studies and wanted to fund their research for various purposes. Since scientific research on an area which was virtually unknown needed money, Dr. Rhine and his team did not have much choice but to accept offers to branch out part of their work into the direction that their benefactors wanted to take in return for funding. Since it is the benefactor’s call as to what the direction the research will take, the researcher has no option but to concede. The compliance to another individual’s preferences regardless of one’s initial plans may affect the researcher’s attitude and sense of ownership of the research. In the case of Dr. Rhine who was in the beginning stages of research on ESP, various benefactors suggested ways to publicize his research. One direction was to facilitate a radio show that catered to listeners who were interested in paranormal phenomena. Another is the sale of games inspired by their studies on ESP. These opportunities offered Dr. Rhine not only money which he need to fund his ongoing research but also recognition as an expert in the area of parapsychology. Commander Eugene F. McDonald, the founder and president of the Zenith Radio Corporation believed in the credibility of Rhine’s work and encouraged him to facilitate a series of ESP tests via the radio as well as marketing of game cards used for testing one’s ability for ESP. This necessitated Dr. Rhine’s increased absence in his parapsychology laboratory to attend to the details of the opportunities offered by McDonald. In exchange for money and marketability of his ESP research, Dr. Rhine was given more and more duties and responsibilities outside his laboratory, leaving his team to carry on with the work without his supervision. For sensitive researches like his paranormal studies, it was important that he was on top of things to prevent any risk of mistakes due to carelessness. In considering the radio show that tested people’s ESP abilities as an experiment, Rhine argued that he wanted the experiment to be as scientific as possible. However, McDonald compromised with him in saying that “we have a big job on our hands to entertain the American public by making them think” (Horn: 60). This was actually a manipulative scheme to get Rhine on board. Initially, Rhine refused participation in the project but agreed to be a consultant. However, McDonald was persistent as he was industrious in covering all bases for Rhine, getting his lawyers to work on the copyrights and trademarks for the ESP cards that will be used in the Radio ESP tests as well as ensuring that Rhine got royalties for every ESP card deck sold (Horn: 61). Eventually, it became an offer Rhine could not refuse. Whether the offer of money and marketability affected the soundness of paranormal research or not, is up to how the researcher handles the situations. The radio tests on ESP can actually be considered data-gathering on a large-scale basis but many issues need to be considered such as the effect of the awareness of a public audience on the subject, the controllability of the setting and the motivations of the subjects, the truthfulness of subjects, among others. Since Dr. Rhine’s work was exposed to the public, it caught the attention many critics who raised their concerns on the credibility of his research. One of them is Prof. Chester Kellogg of McGill University who accused Rhine of erratic statistics in his research as well as misleading the public into giving much attention to research that is not of “real importance to human welfare” (Horn: 61). Many supporters came to Rhine’s rescue, one of whom is Edward V. Huntington, a professor of mathematics at Harvard and the first president of the Mathematical Association of America. He stepped up to defend Rhine and his team that their statistics were sound. Coming from a man of great integrity, Rhine was vindicated from the criticism of Kellogg. Kellogg’s criticism should have been embraced by Rhine as an opportunity to double or even triple check their data, as these were the basis for the theories that he proposed to the world. Was the study of ESP of real importance to the lives of people? How can one utilize this ability? Or was it just a show of tricks? Another heavy critic of Rhine’s work was B.F. Skinner. He made it clear to Rhine that the ESP cards he had out in the market were defective because of the flimsy material used and would not pass for scientific integrity (Horn: 62-63). Rhine argued that he was aware of it and assured him that it was of no significance to his research on ESP because it was not the material used in his actual research and there was the factor of “screening, sealed packs, distance and the like” (Horn: 63) for their conclusions in their ESP study. Skinner further argued that in knowing that the cards were defective, Rhine should have informed the public about it rather than leaving them in the dark about it and carrying on with the use of the cards. This may lead them to wrong conclusions about ESP, as it was the only material they had access to. Money was pouring in as the audience reach of the ESP testing on radio grew. Rice reported that better educated people are more likely to believe in telepathy, ESP, and déjà vu. They are people who may be open to believing in the conclusions arrived at by some paranormal research, and can more easily be convinced to purchase items related to paranormal studies. The exposure that Rhine’s study had at that time when the public did not have access to cable television, internet, and other technological advances, was intensified by the controversies raised by experts in the field. Rhine’s opportunity to promote his research through radio and commercial distribution of related materials may have worked both to his advantage and disadvantage. To his advantage, people were made aware of paranormal phenomena such as ESP, and this was just a foretaste of things to come, as more research on other paranormal occurrences are to follow. The main attraction of the paranormal is its ability to pique minds due to its unexplainable features. When one studies the paranormal, full satiation of curiosity and understanding is never reached. On the other hand, more discriminating scholars may nitpick on his work and challenge him with finding faults in his research to push him to deliver its validity and reliability. In raising controversies about his work, people’s minds are likewise challenged and Rhine and his team are left to defend the credibility of their research. This is also in consideration of the fact that it was somewhat commercialized with the marketing of Zener cards (Horn: 60-62) in conjunction with the Zenith radio show. Sometime in the future, Ouija boards will also be sold out in the hopes that its users will be able to communicate with their dearly departed. These were commercialized also with the research study spearheaded by Louise Rhine on ghosts. However, when materials used for paranormal research are marketed to the consumer as a novelty, it somehow takes it away from the noble function it was designed to do. Ouija boards became tools for entertainment, and consumers may be unaware of its original function from Rhine’s research. Misuse or abuse of such marketed materials disregards the scientific product it was meant to be. With regards to the thesis of this paper addressing how the involvement of money or the potential marketability of ESP and other paranormal phenomena impacts the credibility of paranormal research, the essay has given evidences that commercialization of paranormal research can shake its credibility. Public scrutiny may affect reliability and validity of research results. Rhine had the opportunity to defend the credibility of his work when he was asked to talk at the American Psychological Association’s symposium in Columbus, Ohio. Right before their turn at the podium, they discovered an anomaly in their statistics and had to think on their feet in still defending the research’s credibility. This might have been the outcome of his absences during the data gathering for the radio project. Although Rhine was unusually nervous, he was able to defend his work in all sincerity that the audience, including his critics and other experts in the field were impressed, notwithstanding his humbled state onstage. He was able to answer all their questions, leaving them with no doubt that the man knew what he was talking about (Horn: 67). In the end, no one even questioned the anomalies in his statistics. It would seem that in scientific research, the integrity of the researcher counts more than the body of research he has created. With Rhines, he has proved his integrity in the scientific community regardless of the commercialization of his research theories on paranormal phenomena. Works Cited Fox, J. W., The structure, stability, and social antecedents of reported paranormal experiences. Sociological Analysis 53: (1992) 417-31. Goode, E., Paranormal beliefs: A sociological introduction. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, Inc. 2000a Goode, Erich, Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological Introduction. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland. 2000b. Gray, Thomas, Thinking Critically About New Age Ideas. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1991 Horn, Stacy, Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory (P.S.), Ecco, 2009. Joppe, M., The Research Process. Retrieved March 16, 2012, from http://www.ryerson.ca/~mjoppe/rp.htm (2000). MacDonald, William L., The Effects of Religiosity and Structural Strain on Reported Paranormal Experiences, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 34(3): (1995) 366-76. Rice, Tom W., Believe It Or Not: Religious and Other Paranormal Beliefs in the United States, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 42:1 (2003) 95-106 Sharps, Matthew J., Newborg, Elaine, Van Arsdall, Stephanie, DeRuiter, Jordan, Hayward, Bill & Alcantar, Brianna, Paranormal Beliefs: Conceptualization And Measurement Of An Elusive Concept, Current Psychology (2010) 29:320–327 Wuthnow, R., Experimentation in American religion. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1978 Read More