Dr. Rodney Schmaltz may not be a cynic, but he’s certainly a skeptic – and he aims to show his PSYC 440 students why they should be, too.
The associate professor of psychology's specialty is researching pseudoscience beliefs and methods – why people believe in phenomena like ghosts, aliens and psychic powers even when there is a lack of empirical evidence.
For years, Dr. Schmaltz has taken his students on ghost hunts at sites across the city, using hard science to debunk “haunting” claims. This year, he told the Office of Research Services Research Recast(ed) podcast, he’s raising the stakes and partnering with the Center for Inquiry Investigations Group (CFIIG) on its Paranormal Challenge.
CFIIG offers a $500,000 prize to anyone who can demonstrate paranormal, supernatural or occult power under scientific testing conditions. Although there have been hundreds of applicants over the years, the prize has never been awarded.
This year, Dr. Schmaltz and his PSYC 440 students are developing 10 protocols that CFIIG will use to test Paranormal Challenge applicants. By the end of the term, he says, they hope to see their work in action when applicants from all over the world test their abilities in everything from telekinesis and psychokinesis to controlling flames and smoke.
“Scientific skepticism means that we're willing to accept claims, but only after they've gone through rigorous scientific testing,” explains Dr. Schmaltz. “If somebody claims they see a ghost, we’re not saying they’re wrong. We’re not trying to trick applicants. We’re working with them to develop scientifically rigorous and fair tests.
However, he adds, extraordinary claims demand overwhelming evidence. That means asking many questions and watching out for red flags, including the absence of connectivity.
“If you're proposing that something is true, there should be research that supports that claim,” he explains. Psychics, for example, suggest they can communicate through the power of their minds. If that's true, says Dr. Schmaltz, then everything we know about biology, the mind and the brain is all wrong. “Since there's no connection at all, we should be very skeptical, but that doesn't mean we dismiss it out of hand.”
Managing our expectations also plays a role, especially in claims of hauntings. “Research done in the UK in a supposedly haunted castle showed that people who believed in the paranormal were much more likely to experience those things,” explains Dr. Schmaltz. “If you expect to see something, you probably will.”
What makes people believe what seems like unbelievable claims? “A lot of it is motivational,” says Dr. Schmaltz. “People want to believe because it’s interesting – wouldn’t it be great to communicate with the dead? Wouldn’t that be amazing? It’s easy to see why people would be motivated to believe that.”
Beyond disproving that psychics can read our minds or that ghosts exist, scientific skepticism is essential in our daily lives – particularly online.
“We need these tools when we get information, so we have the skills to determine good information from bad,” says Dr. Schmaltz. “Remaining skeptical involves taking a step back, thinking about where the information came from, whether the claim is reasonable, and whether we should pass it on. If we’re not positive something could be true, we shouldn’t spread that information around.”
Learn more about Dr. Schmaltz’s research into infrasound, which can at least partially explain some “haunting” experiences, and more in the full episode of Research Recast(ed).