- #1
SGT
A recent experiment shows how people can be fooled and see patterns where there is none.
The subjects were to play a computer game and score points. Unbeknownst to them, the points were attributed randomly.
A group scored 33% of the time and the other 66%. After the experiment, the participants were asked to suggest winning strategies for new players. All of them, even those that scored poorly, were able to make suggestions.
That is what happens in most paranormal experiences. People think they see causality between phenomena, even if there is nothing.
This is not a proof that paranormal phenomena don't exist, but shows how much we must take care in order to not confound correlation with causality.
The subjects were to play a computer game and score points. Unbeknownst to them, the points were attributed randomly.
A group scored 33% of the time and the other 66%. After the experiment, the participants were asked to suggest winning strategies for new players. All of them, even those that scored poorly, were able to make suggestions.
That is what happens in most paranormal experiences. People think they see causality between phenomena, even if there is nothing.
This is not a proof that paranormal phenomena don't exist, but shows how much we must take care in order to not confound correlation with causality.