On blowing trumpets to the tulips: to prove or not to prove the null hypothesis--comment on Bösch, Steinkamp, and Boller (2006).
The H. Bösch, F. Steinkamp, and E. Boller meta-analysis reaches mixed and cautious conclusions about the possibility of psychokinesis. The authors argue that, for both methodological and philosophical reasons, it is nearly impossible to draw any conclusions from this body of research. The authors do not agree that any significant effect at all, no matter how small, is fundamentally important (Bösch et al., 2006, p. 517), and they suggest that psychokinesis researchers focus either on producing larger effects or on specifying the conditions under which they would be willing to accept the null hypothesis.
Wilson
David B
DB
Department of Public and International Affairs, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA. dwilsonb@gmu.edu
Shadish
William R
WR
D006801:Humans; D007698:Kinesis; D008433:Mathematics; D008606:Mental Processes; D010268:Parapsychology / Q000379:methods; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011584:Psychology / Q000379:methods