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Announcements

Explore the methods and validity of psychic abilities, comparing them to scientifically validated techniques. Discover the exploitative nature of these industries and the missed opportunities for professional help.

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Announcements

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  1. Announcements • Homework assignment: Complete this personality questionnaire before 10 a.m., Thursday Nov 18th. • http://www.yourpersonality.net/cgi-bin/psych350/spring2006/personalitytraits.pl • Use your alias/codename to ensure you get credit

  2. Recap of some points we made early in the semester • There are a number of industries that profit by tricking people • subliminal tapes • memory enhancing drugs • psychics • tarot card readings • media psychologists

  3. What’s the point? • Why should psychologists care? • Many of the tricks that are used are designed to exploit people’s need to be understood, loved, and valued. • example: paying psychics to communicate with deceased loved ones • To the extent that people turn to these industries in order to meet their needs, they miss the opportunity to be helped by professionals who use scientifically validated techniques.

  4. This week we’ll focus on two such industries, one rooted in the paranormal and the other astrology. • Thousands of Americans turn to psychics and astrologers for advice on love, relationships, work, and parenting. • What methods do these individuals use to understand the world? Are these methods similar to the ones we’ve discussed in this class? And, if not, how could the methods we’ve discussed in this class be applied?

  5. Psychic Powers • Miss Cleo • Late-night television psychic who was well-known during the late 1990’s and early 2000s • Learn more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Cleo • misscleo2.sav

  6. How does it work? • Subcontractors, referred to as “bookstores,” recruit and train thousands of psychics. • When the hotline is called, the call gets routed to the subcontractors, such as Nevada-based Buckwood Communications, who manage the psychics.

  7. Psychics are paid per minute. They are paid extra if they are able to obtain a mailing an e-mail address. • Whether the subcontractors route the calls to a particular psychic depends upon the psychic’s record for keeping people on-line “We’re obliged to keep people on the line. We have to make things up, because we need the priority rating or we won’t get calls. It’s impossible. Last week, even though I had a 61-minute call, I didn’t get anything for six days” • South Florida psychic reader who worked for the agency that promotes Miss Cleo

  8. How do these methods fare? • How do these methods compare with those discussed in this course? • What would it take to establish the validity of a psychic’s ability? • Are these methods (or the evidence derived from them) part of what is advertised?

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