Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

FIGURE 8 
Is the man aiming for the 
elephant or the antelope? Westerners 
assume that the diff erence in size 
between the two animals indicates that 
the elephant is farther away, and 
therefore the man is aiming for the 
antelope. In contrast, members of some 
African tribes, not used to depth cues in 
two-dimensional drawings, assume that 
the man is aiming for the elephant. (The 
drawing is based on Deregowski, 1973.)
Do you think Westerners, who view the 
picture in three dimensions, could 
explain what they see to someone who 
views the scene in two dimensions and 
eventually get that person to view it in 
three dimensions?
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 Module 
13 
Perceptual Organization: Constructing Our View of the World 
135

EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION (ESP)

Given the lack of evidence that subliminal perception can alter our behavior in sub-

stantial ways, psychologists are particularly skeptical of reports of extrasensory percep-
tion , or ESP—perception that does not involve our known senses. Although half of 
the general population of the United States believes it exists, most psychologists reject 
the existence of ESP, asserting that there is no sound documentation of the phenom-
enon (Gallup Poll, 2001; Hyman, 1994; Swets & Bjork, 1990). 
However, a debate in one of the most prestigious psychology journals, Psycho-
logical Bulletin , heightened interest in ESP. According to proponents of ESP, reliable 
evidence exists for an “anomalous process of information transfer,” or psi . These 
researchers, who painstakingly reviewed considerable evidence, argue that a cumula-
tive body of research shows reliable support for the existence of psi (Bem & Honorton, 
1994; Parra & Argibay, 2007; Storm & Ertel, 2001). 
Their conclusion has been challenged on several counts. For example, critics 
suggest that the research methodology was inadequate and that the experiments 
supporting psi are fl awed (Hyman, 1994; Kennedy, 2004; Milton & Wiseman, 1999). 
Because of questions about the quality of the research, as well as a lack of any 
credible theoretical explanation for how extrasensory perception might take place, 
the vast majority of psychologists continue to believe that there is no reliable scien-
tifi c support for ESP (Rose & Blackmore, 2002; Wiseman & Greening, 2002). Still, the 
exchanges in Psychological Bulletin are likely to heighten the debate. More important, 
the renewed interest in ESP among psychologists is likely to inspire more research, 
which is the only way the issue can be resolved.