Investigating the interpretation of conjuring tricks (or "pseudo-psychic demonstrations") as related to framing and paranormal belief

• Grant number: 19/01263-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 17, 2019
• End date: April 16, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Social Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Wellington Zangari
• Grantee: Gabriel Teixeira de Medeiros
• Supervisor: Christopher French
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Goldsmiths, University of London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/05208-7 - Construction and validation of Phenomelogical OBE questionnaire: elements, meanings and their role in life experiencers: a quali-quantitative analysis, BP.DR

Abstract

The present BEPE proposal refers to a six-month period and is part of a doctoral research project in the InterPsi Lab, about the varieties of out-of-body experiences, their meanings and paranormal beliefs. During the first two years the need for a complementary focused approach was identified to understand the cognitive biases associated with the paranormal interpretation of an anomalous experience. Thus, this addition to the original PhD project aims to understand the relationship between anomalous experiences and paranormal belief. The proposal is divided into three main activities. The first concerns quantitative analysis of the suggestibility and magic/paranormal belief/experience data already collected by the contacted research group in London, hopefully resulting in a first paper to be published. The two other activities of this proposal will be concerned in helping collect new data about anomalous experiences and paranormal belief followed by their analysis and subsequent paper writing. This work will help the doctoral candidate to (1) develop his academic skills and (2) prepare for future steps of the doctoral research and data analysis.