Posts archived in Anomalistic psychology


2 comments

Getting Type 1 and 2 errors confused

January 4, 2011 by .

Type 1 and 2 errors are not easy to understand and recently one student (thank you Laura Hastings) wrote in to ask if we were also confused (!) and had made a mistake with Type 1 and 2 errors in our AQA A A2 book. Fortunately we hadn’t but the explanation was a bit unclear. On page 266 (Chapter on Anomalistic Psychology) it says:

Causal thinking evolved because it allows people to understand and control their environment, i.e. to be able to predict that, for example, if you eat a red mushroom you will die. This causal thinking is adaptive but may sometimes lead to Type 1 errors – where you believe something is true when it isn’t, for example you believe that tying your shoes laces twice causes luck.

The problematic phrase is ‘where you believe something is true when it isn’t’. Laura was confused because a Type 1 error is defined on page 300 as ‘when a null hypothesis is rejected when it is true’. So it sounds like we got it wrong – but in fact both Type 1 and Type 2 errors are ‘where you believe something that isn’t true’:

  • Type 1 error (false positive) – you believe the null hypothesis isn’t true (and reject it) but in reality the null hypothesis is true. So, in the case of shoe laces you believe shoe laces and luck are linked but, in reality, there is no link. Or you avoid mushrooms for ever after because you think they will make you die but this link is mistaken.
  • Type 2 error (false negative) – you believe the null hypothesis is true (and accept it) when in reality the null hypothesis is not true. In the case of shoe laces and luck, you believe tying your shoe laces twice has no effect on luck but in fact it has. Or you believe that red mushrooms don’t cause death but they do.

The point is that we err on the side of making Type 1 errors (and believing erroneous causal relationships) because we might otherwise make Type 2 errors.

As for the text book, it would be better if it said ‘Type 1 errors – where you believe the null hypothesis is wrong when it isn’t’.

0 comments

A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder

December 6, 2010 by .

It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: major affective disorder, pleasant type. In a review of the relevant literature it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discrete cluster of symptoms, is associated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. One possible objection to this proposal remains–that happiness is not negatively valued. However, this objection is dismissed as scientifically irrelevant.

link

via null device

0 comments

How superstition might work

July 15, 2010 by .

The research team (Damisch et al. (2010) had the idea that having a lucky mascot might actually improve confidence, and therefore performance. So they ran some experiments including one where participants could bring their lucky mascot or charm with them do do a test. Before the test the items* were taken away to be photographed. One group then had their mascots returned, the other group were told the mascots would be returned after the task. The former group did better in the memory task and further tests showed this was linked to an increase in self-confidence. This link would seem to apply also to self-esteem, attribution of success and self-belief.

So maybe if you do have your own lucky mascot it could be a good idea to keep it by you when you are competing or doing exams.

Good luck!

* from old stuffed animals, and stones to wedding rings

4 comments

Cheese toasties

October 23, 2009 by .

In November 2004 52 year old Diana Duyser from Florida USA, sold on e-bay a grilled cheese sandwich she had made ten years previously for $28,000 and in the process had 1.7 million hits to this particular e-bay item.toasted_sandwich_2.jpgWhy such interest in a frankly inedible piece of food? Well quite simply because there in the cheese toastie was the quite discernible face of the Virgin Mary and ever since the toasted treat had been in her possession, Ms.Duyser claimed to have had nothing but good luck.However this is not such an isolated incident. People have been seeing faces in all sorts Read the rest of this entry »

0 comments

INSET Autumn 2009

July 3, 2009 by .

Two great opportunities next autumn term if you are planning to teach either the Psychology of Addictive Behaviour or Anomalistic Psychology. Keynote Educational have organised Unit 4 INSET days – one features Mark Griffiths and the other features Richard Wiseman – both experts in the respective fields. Plus me (Cara Flanagan) talking about the research methods component and more general issues. See here for further INSET courses next year.

0 comments

Thinking of doing anomalistic psychology?

June 2, 2009 by .

This is your chance (and your students) to take part in some research for the New Scientist on the phenomenon of remote viewing (the alleged ability to psychically identify a distant location). And take part in the world’s first scientific study via twitter.  The experiment is organised by the fab Richard Wiseman who has an impressive record of serious research on anomalistic psychology. For more information have a look here.
Essentially Richard will be conducting trials on Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri of this week at 3pm (UK time).  To join in, all you have to do is join his twitter stream here.
PS Richard is talking at the Science and Pseudoscience conference next November run by Southwest Conferences, details here. Last year this conference was a huge success – comments included ‘I never thought science could be this much fun’.

0 comments

A little experiment…

March 15, 2009 by .

ganzfeld.jpg

Do me a favour will you?

Turn the TV to a fuzzy, de-tuned channel, paint the inside of your swimming goggles with tippex, stick them on and sit back in a comfy chair for a bit……. come back in about twenty minutes and tell me what thoughts swam into your head…

(intermission)

Good to see you back…

Did you hear me saying ‘You really should teach anomalistic psychology to your A2′s next year” ?

See… it works doesn’t it?

(Important…. sensory deprivation is a dangerous business. As is swimming with goggles obscured by stationary products. We here at Cat & Dog Psychology Inc. bear no responsibility for injury or ill effects in either circumstance)

0 comments

Woman and the spirit of her deceased sister

October 24, 2008 by .

deceased.jpg

One of a collection of ‘spirit’ photographs taken by the medium William Hope.

He produced such photos for bereaved individuals, desperate to contact their loved ones. His services were especially in demand by those who had lost relatives in World War One.

In the 1920′s he was accused of faking such photos by superimposing other images upon the original.

I don’t know what this sad collection of photos tells us about parapsychology -beyond warning about a misplaced faith in technology and a desperate desire for something to be ‘out there’…….