Is parapsychology classed as a science?

Question

Is parapsychology classed as a science?

Answer 1

Bonjour madam

Parapsychology is a fringe science because it involves research that does not fit within standard theoretical models accepted by mainstream science. Scientists such as psychologists Ray Hyman and James Alcock, among others, are critical of both the methodology used and the results obtained by parapsychology. Skeptical researchers suggest that methodological flaws provide the best explanation for apparent experimental successes, rather than the anomalistic explanations offered by many parapsychologists. Some critics have also argued that parapsychology crosses the line into pseudoscience.[6] To date, no evidence has been accepted by the mainstream scientific community as establishing the existence of paranormal phenomena.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parapsychol...

good luck

aurevoir

Answer 2

As many have said, it depends who you ask. Most scientists and universities think not, since it's all but impossible to find any accredited universities which have a minor or major program in parapsychology. There are one or two exceptions.

On the other hand, there are scientists trying to do legitimate parapsychological research, although so far their results have been less than compelling. In addition, the Parapsychological Association is an elected affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Despite the implication that there was no controversy about the decision to elect PA to affiliation, the fact is that the first two attempts to gain affiliation failed because of the controversy over parapsychology as a legitimate science, and the third attempt only succeeded due to the extreme efforts of one person, then AAAS president Margaret Mead.

That being said, you can find quite a number of scientists who believe in the paranormal, who believe in God, etc. However, there are some lurking fallacies here. Just because a scientist believes in X does not make X a science. The qualifications for what is science are not so trivial and arbitrary. Also, scientists believe in God out of faith, not because they've performed scientific experiments on God.  I suspect that those scientists who believe in the paranormal believe it out of faith as well. I'd like to see a study that addresses the source of paranormal belief in scientists, but haven't found it yet.

And to sum up, I'm going to take the high road and not respond in kind to a someone pretending to not do the things he accuses others of.  :)

Answer 3

I think a science needs to have testable hyotheses and operational definitions.

IMPORTANTLY - science is when you approach a question with the mindset that you can be proven wrong.

whan all one does is look for proof of being right, you have left the realm of scientific investigation and enterted the world of belief.

Answer 4

Actually, I think it falls under the classification "Pseudoscience"

Answer 5

IDK..but if it had been offered in college..I'm sure I would have taken it..even if it wasn't for credits.

So..if you can't get a degree or credits for it...I don't see how anyone can be an "expert" in it..either way. I've also never heard of a paranormal skeptics college class..so they aren't "experts" either. We're all just amateurs..trying to help and teach each other. If we were all in a big classroom...a lot of us would have gotten "spankings" by now..or sent outside the classroom..or put on the "dunce" stool. (I know..those things are against the law now...) (lucky us!!) lol

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

It depends on who you ask.Since very few well known Universities teach or study it.I'll go with that fact, and say no

Answer 8

No, a thoery.

Answer 9

hardly

Answer 10

I think it's a matter of who you ask and their opinion of the field.

This is how I think of it (short version):

science is theory

parapsychology is theory

parapsychology is therefore science

It may not be a science that people agree with or believe in, but in a way it is a science.

Answer 11

There is no absolute set criteria for any field to be considered a science.

That said, the largest science organization in the United States, The American Association for the Advancement of Science (link below) voted the Parapsychological Association (the professional organization for parapsychologist) <link below> in as an affiliate in 1969.

Despite claims of controversy about this decision the vote by the governing counsel was 6 -1 for admission.

Edit: Multiple votes are very common and not indicative of any unusual level of controversy when voting on affiliations are considered, perhaps people are unaware of this easily obtained piece of information.

There are certainly individual members then and now that oppose this recognition of parapsychology as a science.

So, yes according to the closest thing science has to an official voice, parapsychology is a science.

The last link is AAAS requirements for affiliation.

Since YA skeptics feel free to post attacks on people's honesty (that's science at it's best for skeptics I guess) allow me to correct the untrue claim that most scientist don't believe.

"A survey of more than 1,100 college professors in the United States found that 55% of natural scientists, 66% of social scientists (excluding psychologists), and 77% of academics in the arts, humanities, and education believed that ESP is either an established fact or a likely possibility. The comparable figure for psychologists was only 34%. Moreover, an equal number of psychologists declared ESP to be an impossibility, a view expressed by only 2% of all other respondents (Wagner &amph; Monnet, 1979)."

(full link below)

That is 55% ( a majority) of physical scientist

             66% (majority) of social scientist (excluding

                        psychologist)

               77% (majority) of academics in education, arts,

                                         humanities

                 34% (minority) of psychologist

Rather then assuming people are dishonest enough to wish to post misleading information I will go ahead and presume they were just uninformed of the facts.

The answer stands Parapsychology is recognized as a science by the largest science organization in the U.S. despite the crying and personal attacks by skeptics.

Psi

Answer 12

No

Answer 13

It is sort of a pseudo-science. Most parapsychology courses are offered as electives in colleges to give students something interesting to study, but not major in. I have taught parapsychology courses as non-credit courses. This does not mean it is not a science; it is just not considered a true science as you cannot set out to study something like a ghost and be guaranteed some result. I currently do parapsychological research, and it's pretty difficult. I lump it with psychological research in psi, perception, attention, suggestion, and superstition. You won't find many scientists into the paranormal, it's mostly psychologists (many who are out to study people with mental illnesses who THINK they are experiencing something paranormal).

Answer 14

Is Parapsychology a branch of psych for psychologically handicapped people -- like the Para-olympics are the Olympics for handicapped athletes?  LOL!

Answer 15

That is very controversial.  Many say it is, many say it isn't.  In my opinion it is an applied science.

Answer 16

I'd say no.  

Parapsychology is to science a bit like the difference between actually experiencing or witnessing an event such as a plane crash, and reading about a hypothetical similar event in a textbook written by a scientist before airplanes proved heavier than air flight is possible.

Edit;  Here was the conclusion of a skeptic about remote viewing as a science:

Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire and a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) has said that he agrees remote viewing has been proven using the normal standards of science, but that the bar of evidence needs to be much higher for paranormal claims and thus he remains unconvinced:[26]

I agree that by the standards of any other area of science that remote viewing is proven, but begs the question: do we need higher standards of evidence when we study the paranormal? I think we do. ... Because remote viewing is such an outlandish claim that will revolutionise the world, we need overwhelming evidence before we draw any conclusions. Right now we don't have that evidence.

—Richard Wiseman,  Daily Mail, January 28, 2008, pp 28-29

Answer 17

Yes and no. It is a science, but not taught at all universities. Last I heard there has only ever been 1 doctoral diploma in Parapsychology ever awarded. So if they issued a doctoral diploma then it has to classes as a ligitamate science.

Answer 18

I don't think it is.