Using the Paranormal to Teach Critical Thinking and Research Skills
By Emily Stark
Many colleges focus on ‘critical thinking’ as a key skill-set to develop in their students, and critical thinking skills are also sought after by employers in a range of career areas (Hart Research Associates, 2013). I recently had the opportunity to teach a course focused on critical thinking and research to students from a range of different majors, all who were working towards a goal of developing their research skills. To connect with students bringing widely varying experiences with research, I chose to include a course project where the students had to develop, conduct, and summarize experiments focused on some aspect of the paranormal.
I began the course reviewing elements of the research process. My goal was for students to develop hypotheses that tested paranormal explanations, such as whether horoscopes accurately relate personality or if people have extra sensory perception. These specific research processes discussed in class (such as use of surveys, sample size, experimental design, random assignment, etc.) were specifically connected to how we can think critically about pseudoscience or paranormal claims. As we covered the course topics, students also developed their research projects, beginning with discussions related to the paranormal, their own beliefs and experiences, and how they could test some of these. Students repeatedly discussed their projects in class as they developed, sharing ideas and learning from each other, and gaining feedback along the way.
Students completed projects on a range of topics, including examining how belief in astrology influenced evaluations of horoscopes, whether participants could show ESP abilities under a range of different conditions, and whether belief in the paranormal influenced responses to a haunted house. In all cases, students identified their topic and specific variables, formed hypotheses, collected data, and then summarized their results and findings in both a paper as well as a presentation to the class. Students also discussed their own beliefs and experiences, such as seeing a “psychic” brought in as entertainment for a high-school graduation after-party or seeing ghosts and other odd phenomenon. The students were able to both honestly share their own beliefs and thoughtfully critique each other, sharing alternative explanations or ruminating about how these paranormal explanations could be tested experimentally.
Key Take-Away Points
I was clear from the outset that I was particularly focusing on research with human subjects, and often shared my experiences and background in psychology. This helped students understand that there are multiple types of research, and that while what they did in class might be distinct from their discipline-specific research experiences, this project was grounded in a particular approach to the research process.
I reviewed the basics of research process and used this coverage of topics as a way to scaffold the assignment for students.
Students were able to choose both the topic they wanted to examine and the methods they used, with approval from me. This gave them a sense of ownership and the ability to research something they found particularly interesting.
I gave students multiple opportunities for feedback throughout the whole process. This kept the assignment from feeling overwhelming and allowed them to know that they were on track with expectations.
I focused this assignment on the overall experience of conducting research, and not overmuch on data analysis. I worked with students individually to help them summarize their findings and run any needed analyses. This worked well for this group, because they had such a varying range of previous experience with statistics and research, and I wanted them to focus more on what they learned rather than on the precise details of statistical analysis. However, in another type of course, this could become a larger focus and allow students an opportunity to develop specific data skills.
Overall, this type of project proved to be a successful way to engage students with widely differing research experiences. Students were able to choose a topic that they found particularly interesting, and creatively identify how to conduct experimental research to test this topic. Many reported that this was a useful and engaging experience—they became more aware of all the different things that could influence their data, the difficulties involved in working with human participants, and the excitement of being able to choose their own topic and try to answer a question relevant to their own interests.
Please feel free to contact me at emily.stark@mnsu.edu if you’re interested in seeing the course syllabus or have any other questions about this course or the project described here.
References
Hart Research Associates (2013). It Takes More Than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success. Washington D. C. Retrieved from: https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2013_EmployerSurvey.pdf