Submission + - Psychology, Psychics, and Statistics
SpaceMika writes: Bem 2010 used the standard statistical methods of social psychology to prove that people are psychic, but only women predicting erotic imagery. The researcher is highly respected with decades of experience; the statistical techniques follow all the accepted practices of the field. This means either psychics exist (but only in specific situations not hinted at in psi mythology), or psychology uses flawed statistical techniques. Wagenmakers et al. 2010 responded with a paper stepping through the logical fallacies, statistical missteps, and the value of following the scientific method common to their psychology, using psi studies, and Bem's paper in particular, to illustrate the point. The fallout from this pair of papers will at least impact decades of psychology research dependent on these statistical techniques, but potentially has all-sciences consequences as a compact case study on the value of the scientific method, and the hazards associated with inappropriate use of statistical techniques.
