Abstract

Each of the authors recently attempted to replicate studies in which the "receivers" were asked to psychically detect the gaze directed at them by unseen "senders." The 1st author\'s (1A\'s) studies failed to find any significant effects; the 2nd author\'s (2A\'s) study gave positive results. The authors then carried out a joint study to determine why they had originally obtained different results. Each author carried out separate experiments, but ran them in the same location, using the same equipment/procedures, and drawing Ss (aged 18-49 yrs) from the same pool. 32 experimental sessions were divided into 2 sets of randomly ordered trials. Half were "stare" trials during which the experimenter directed his/her attention toward the receiver; half were "non-stare" (control) trials during which the experimenter directed his/her attention away from the receiver. The receivers\' electrodermal activity (EDA) was recorded throughout each session. The EDA of 1A\'s receivers was not! significantly different during stare and non-stare trials. By contrast, the EDA of 2A\'s receivers was significantly higher in stare than non-stare trials. Different interpretations of this effect are discussed, including the possibility of experimenter effects.