Research Paper on:
Scientific Argument Against ESP

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through sensory information. In the past, it was assumed that extra-sensory data came from the gods. The Oracle of Apollo, for example, offered predictions for the future, demonstrating precognitive abilities,  that presumably came from a divine origin. While this notion has long been discarded, the fascination with the possibility of extra-sensory perception (ESP) still lingers. ESP is romantic and intriguing,  but is it real? Beginning in the early twentieth century, psychologists began to examine the possibility of ESP and paranormal ability scientifically. A new term was coined for this  area of research -- parapsychology. The following examination of the scientific investigation of ESP demonstrates that while there have been research studies that appeared to support the existence of ESP,  these studies have been largely discredited due to improper methodology or the existence of statistical error. On the other hand, other research studies, in particular the study conducted by Wiseman  and Greening (2002), prove conclusively that belief in ESP is the modern day equivalent of consulting an oracle, that is, research has shown that there is no reliable scientific evidence  for the existence of ESP. Background on paranormal research Parapsychologists have long investigated the possible existence of a mental phenomenon generally referred to as ESP. One of the  primary methods employed for studies concerning ESP has been the "forced-choice" procedure, in which participants were asked to guess the nature of hidden "targets," such as the color of  playing cards, which were randomly selected from a set of alternatives known to the participants prior to making their guess (Wiseman and Greening, 2002). In other words, participants would  know that their cards would either be black or red, for example. The researcher conducting the experiment selects a card, and, without revealing the card to the participant, sees what