How News about ESP Research Shapes Audience Beliefs A study shows that the media can affect beliefs about whether ESP exists and whether ESP researchers are scientific. However, media influence depends on how coverage presents ESP research. PAUL R. BREWER ontroversy erupted in January 2011 when the presti- idently a good sport, appeared as a guest gious Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) on the same episode). published an article by Daryl Bem, an emeritus pro- All of this raises questions about the C potential for media coverage of ESP fessor of psychology at Cornell University, in which he pre- research to influence audience beliefs. sented a case for ESP (extrasensory perception). Bem (2011a) Can media stories sway whether peo- ple believe in ESP and whether they argued that his experiments showed scientific evidence of see research on it as scientific? Do such precognition, or awareness of future events. However, many effects depend on whether the media other psychologists disputed his conclusions. Indeed, the cover ESP research in a one-sided way that only presents the case for ESP, a same journal that published his study also published a rebut- two-sided way that includes scientific tal challenging how he interpreted his data (Wagenmakers et rebuttals from ESP skeptics, or a face- tious way that treats it as a joke? More al. 2011). The debate over ESP played out in the pages of the broadly, what role(s) can media mes- Skeptical Inquirer as well, where James Alcock (2011) pre- sages play in fostering belief or skep- sented a critique of Bem’s research and Bem himself (2011b) ticism about paranormal research? To help provide answers, I conducted an defended it. experiment of my own. Very recently JPSP published a study fail- tions. For example, a January 23, 2011, ing to replicate Bem’s results (Galak et al. interview of Bem on MSNBC allowed 2012; see Skeptical Inquirer, March/ him to present his case without rebuttal. Belief and Media Messages about April 2013, for a news summary). Other stories described his research but the Paranormal Unlike most psychological stud- also gave time to scientific counter-ar- Scientific polling shows that many ies—even ones published in leading guments. Still other media stories essen- Americans believe in ESP. For example, journals—Bem’s ESP research became tially treated Bem’s research as a joke. 41 percent of the respondents in a June news. Television programs such as Most entertainingly, perhaps, comedian 6–8, 2005, Gallup poll said that they ABC World News with Diane Sawyer Stephen Colbert devoted a January 27, believed in it, making ESP the most and CBS’s The Early Show covered it, 2011, segment of his satirical television widely accepted paranormal phenom- as did print sources ranging from the program (The Colbert Report) to poking enon mentioned in the survey (Moore New York Times to Discover Magazine. fun at it, saying, “I know what you’re 2005). An even greater percentage (48 Some media stories presented Bem’s thinking: ‘Stephen, that’s bullshit.’ But percent) of respondents in an October conclusions in a largely one-sided man- on the other hand, I know you’re think- 16–18, 2007, Associated Press-Ipsos ner, saying little about his critics’ objec- ing, ‘Stephen, that’s bullshit’ ” (Bem, ev- poll said they believed in ESP (Bolton Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2013 41 paranormal; it has not considered the potential effects of media messages that discuss paranormal research but treat it in a humorous or lighthearted manner. Here, I use news coverage of Bem’s Research suggests that media messages could ESP research as a case study to exam- contribute to the widespread belief in ESP. ine the impact of media messages that challenge paranormal research through either scientific argument or dismissive humor. The Experiment 2007). In each poll, respondents with a vious research, I conducted an exper- To do so, I conducted a controlled college degree were just as (if not more) iment showing that newspaper stories experiment in April 2012. A team of likely to believe as were less educated about paranormal investigators can in- students helped design the study and respondents. fluence readers’ beliefs about whether recruited 446 fellow students to partic- Research suggests that media mes- ghosts exist and whether ghost hunters ipate in it.1 To be sure, college students sages could contribute to the wide- are scientific (Brewer 2012). Taken to- are not necessarily representative of spread belief in ESP. One previous gether, these studies also indicate that the broader public; however, recall that report in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER the impact of a specific media message belief in ESP appears to be consistent showed that trends in public beliefs on paranormal beliefs can depend on across different levels of education. about alien abductions and psychic whether it cites a scientific authority The participants were randomly as- powers have paralleled trends in news as well as whether it is one-sided (only signed to one of four conditions. Those media attention to these topics (Nisbet presenting the case for the paranor- in the one-sided story condition read a 2006). Another SKEPTICAL INQUIRER mal) or two-sided (presenting the case news story, attributed to the New York article described a series of controlled against as well). Times, that described Bem’s research experiments demonstrating that vari- However, so far no study has di- without presenting any criticism of it ous forms of media—including “real- rectly tested whether media messages (headline: “Journal to publish paper ity” shows, newspapers, and television can in fluence beliefs about ESP and its on ESP”). Participants in the scientific news—can influence audience mem- re searchers. Furthermore, the existing rebuttal story condition read a different bers’ beliefs about paranormal phenom- research on two-sided messages has version of the story that quoted an- ena ranging from “astral-projection” to focused on whether scientific rebuttals other psychologist (Ray Hyman of the UFOs (Sparks 1998). In my own pre- can induce greater skepticism about the University of Oregon) as being critical of Bem’s research and mentioned that efforts to replicate it had failed (head- line: “ESP paper expected to outrage psychologists”). Those in the joke story condition read yet another version of the story that described Bem’s history of performing “Kreskin-style magic acts for students and friends” and quoted the same psychologist (Hyman) as saying, “[Bem’s] got a great sense of humor. .I wouldn’t rule out that this is an elaborate joke” (headline: “You might already know this . .”). Finally, those in the control condition read a story on an unrelated topic. To enhance the realism of the study, we drew the headlines and story contents from real Figure 1. Percentage of experimental participants in each condition who reported believing in ESP and thinking ESP research- coverage. Afterward, participants com- ers are “very” or “somewhat” scientific. pleted a survey asking them whether 42 Volume 37 Issue 5 | Skeptical Inquirer References they believed or disbelieved in ESP as scientific (Nisbet 2006; Hill 2012). In well as how scientific they thought ESP part, the findings here reinforce those Alcock, James. 2011. Back from the future: researchers generally are.2 concerns by showing that uncritical Parapsychology and the Bem affair. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 35(2): 31–39. Online coverage of Bem’s study increased per- at http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/ Results ceptions of ESP research as scientific. show/back_from_the_future. At the same time, the results show that Bem, Daryl J. 2011a. Feeling the future: Given that the study used random news coverage citing skeptics or taking Experimental evidence for anomalous ret- assignment to experimental conditions, roactive influences on cognition and affect. a facetious tone can undermine the one can compare the results across Journal of Personality and Social Psychology aura of scientific authority surrounding conditions to reach conclusions about 100(3): 407–25. ESP research. In broader terms, my ———. 2011b. Response to Alcock’s “Back to whether the different versions of the findings highlight both the power of the future: Comments on Bem.” Csicop. ESP story influenced readers. First, org (January 6). Online at http://www.csi- the media to shape beliefs about the consider the results among the partici- cop.org/specialarticles/show/response_to_ paranormal and the way in which that pants in the control condition. Of these, alcocks_back_from_the_future_comments_ influence depends on the nature of on_bem/. 43 percent said they believed in ESP the coverage. Journalists’ choices about Bolton, Jim. 2007. Poll: One-third believe in and 59 percent saw ESP researchers ghosts, UFOs. USA Today (October 26). how to present paranormal research as “somewhat” or “very” scientific (see Online at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/ can determine whether their stories Figure 1)—a set of results that, in and news/offbeat/2007-10-25-ghosts-poll_N. encourage faith or doubts about such htm. of itself, reflects the widespread belief research. Brewer, Paul R. 2012. The trappings of sci- in ESP even among the educated. Now ence: Media messages, scientific authority, The findings also carry implications consider the results among participants and beliefs about paranormal investigators. for those seeking to promote skepticism who read the one-sided story about Science Communication (September 7). Online about the paranormal. Bem’s critics had at http://scx.sagepub.com/content/early/201 Bem’s research. Of these, 51 percent the opportunity to follow two different 2/06/27/1075547012454599.abstract. believed in ESP and fully 69 percent Galak, Jeff, Robyn A. LeBouef, Leif D. Nelson, but equally effective paths in respond- saw ESP researchers as scientific. Thus, et al. 2012. Correcting the past: Failures to ing to his conclusions: by presenting reading the one-sided version of the replicate psi.