Abstract

Observational theories predict that the results of psi tests can be influenced by multiple observers of the data, including future observers. The present experiment tested a modification of these theories, the potential-observer theory, which states that the degree of a future observer's influence is related to the probability that he or she will actually observe the results. S completed 120 512-trial runs with trial-by -trial feedback. The data of each run were divided by a fixed method into 4 subruns, which were then subjected to a process whereby a random decision determined, for each data point, whether or not it would be destroyed. By varying the probability of destruction across subruns the probability of future observation, and thus the potential influence of future observers, was manipulated. A future-observer effect was sought by arbitrarily dividing the data into 2 sets and having each author observe 1 of the sets. It was predicted that analyzer (A) differences would vary with destruction rate (DR), leading to a significant interaction between the 2 variables. It was also predicted that the results would increase in significance with increasing DR. The A * DR interaction for random runs was significant. However, the obtained interaction was not in the predicted form, suggesting that the theory is contraindicated. (15 ref)