Surveys of academic opinion regarding parapsychology

Many groups have made surveys of academic opinion regarding parapsychology. Six key surveys of academic opinion have been reported from the 1930s until the early 1980s; these have largely addressed the same four main questions, albeit to somewhat different populations.

A 1938 survey of 603 full members of the American Psychological Association (APA), achieved a response-rate of 58%. A second survey of 515 APA members 1952 achieved a 70% response-rate. Two further APA polls new associates of the APA, with responses from 60% of 621 new associates in 1950 , and 60% of 1323 in 1955.

In 1973 New Scientist received 1416 responses to a poll it published; 63% of respondents with degrees, and 13% being students (about 72,000 copies of the poll had been distributed in its magazine). In 1979, a poll of 2400 randomly selected college professors of large academic institutions achieved a 50% response-rate, with demographics suggesting the sample was representative of the population. In 1983 poll of 497 council members and selected section committee members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science received responses from 353 (71%), .

Responses to the key questions attained the following proportions.

Is ESP an established fact or likely possibility?

• 9% of the 1930s US psychologists agreed
• 17% of the 1950s US psychologists agreed
• 32% of the new 1950s US psychologists agreed
• 67% of the 1970s New Scientist readers agreed
• 66% of the 1970s college professors agreed (including 25% of psychologists)
• 29% of the 1980s AAAS leaders agreed

This question also permitted an option to deny the possibility of ESP. Those endorsing this option were as follows.

• 15% of the 1930s US psychologists denied
• 10% of the 1950s US psychologists denied
• 7% of the new 1950s US psychologists denied
• 3% of the 1970s New Scientist readers agreed
• 4% of the 1970s college professors denied (including 25% of psychologists)
• 9% of the 1980s AAAS leaders denied

Additionally, the survey of AAAS leaders gave the following related attitude for rating:

• "There is insufficient evidence for psychic ability" – 71% agreed.

Is ESP a legitimate scientific undertaking?

• 89% of the 1930s psychologists agreed (76% indicated that it should be studied within academic psychology)
• 89% of the 1950s psychologists agreed (exactly the same as in the 1930s; 77% indicated that it should be studied within academic psychology)
• 94% of the new 1950s psychologists agreed (78% indicated that it should be studied within academic psychology)
• 85% of the 1970s New Scientist readers agreed (20% indicated that it should be studied within academic psychology; many commented that physics would be more appropriate)
• 84% of the 1970s college professors agreed
• 69% of the 1980s AAAS leaders agreed

Additionally, the survey of AAAS leaders gave the following related attitudes for rating:

• "Parapsychology threatens the established mechanistic world view of scientists" – 13% agreed.
• "Parapsychology conflicts with current physical or biological theories" – 36% agreed.

Is the present research direction appropriate?

This question concerned the manner of research, as exemplified in reports in the Journal of Parapsychology.

• 32% of the 1930s psychologists approved (another 7% indicating "probably" or "partially" appropriate)
• 31% of the 1950s psychologists approved (another 6% indicating "probably" or "partially" appropriate)
• 35% of the new 1950s psychologists approved (another 9% indicating "probably" or "partially" appropriate)

Those who considered that the research was decidedly not conducted "in the proper direction" were as follows.

• 13% of the 1930s psychologists disapproved (another 0.6% indicating "probably not")
• 18% of the 1950s psychologists disapproved (about another 4% indicating "probably not")
• 9% of the new 1950s psychologists disapproved (about another 1% indicating "probably not")

The largest proportions across these surveys were represented by those who indicated they were "blank and doubtful", and that they "have not read it" - about 45% in each study.

Another way of addressing this issue was given in the 1970s studies:

• "Parapsychology is important and making steady [or only a little] progress" – 62% of the New Scientist readers, and 57% of the college professors, agreed.
• "Parapsychology is a pseudoscience" – 4% of the New Scientist readers, and 3% of the college professors, agreed.

This specific question was not addressed to the AAAS members, but similar measures were made of the following attitudes.

• "Scientists feel that parapsychological research has not been conducted in a competent manner" – 68% agreed.
• "The complexity and elusiveness of psi makes it extremely difficult to research" – 62% agreed.

What is the source of academic opinion?

Several options were given to this question, somewhat differing over the studies, but most consistently asking if the respondents relied on journal reports. Personal experience was also queried in most studies as a specific alternative. (Other options, in one or another study, were newspapers, books by J. B. Rhine, hearsay, and a priori belief.)

Journal reports

• 41% of the 1930s psychologists
• 35% of the 1950s psychologists
• 16% of the new 1950s psychologists
• 26% of the 1970s college professors
• 30% of the 1980s AAAS leaders

Personal experience

• 2% of the 1930s psychologists
• 8% of the 1950s psychologists
• 11% of the 1970s college professors
• 28% of the 1980s AAAS leaders

In the New Scientist study, of those 25% who considered ESP to be fully established, 40% indicated their view was based on reading scientific literature; most cited personal experience.

The researchers reporting these results have generally noted, in discussion, that the findings are surprisingly consistent over the decades, research methods, and populations sampled; although psychologists and AAAS representatives tended to indicate less positive attitude; the elite scientists of the AAAS were particularly prone to basing attitude on the (lack of) personal experience of ESP rather than reading of the scientific literature; more contemporary scientists were less familiar with the scientific literature of parapsychology than were psychologists in the 1930s; and academics in the humanities were generally most positive in their attitude to the phenomena. In both the college professor and AAAS leader studies, no significant relationship was observed between age or sex and the measured attitudes.

References

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See also

Parapsychology