Critical comment on Hicks-Caskey and Potter, "Effect of the full moon on a sample of developmentally delayed, institutionalized women".
Hicks-Caskey and Potter (1991) claim to have found a "full moon effect" on women in a developmental center. Further, they suggest the discrepancies in findings on lunar effects can be accounted for by (i) a lack of equivalent operational definitions and (ii) a person selection factor. It is argued that the Hicks-Caskey and Potter findings are undermined by weekday, holiday, season, weather, particular staff-subject interactions, and expectancy effects. In addition, the proposed explanations for differing outcomes in lunar studies do not explain both the negative findings and conflicting positive findings.
Flynn
M
M
Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
D000184:Acting Out; D001143:Arousal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D016081:Moon; D012919:Social Behavior