When an experimenter began to make observations of a psychic's behavior, the psychic's ESP disappeared. A parapsychologist claimed that the experimenter was generating negative energy that interfered with the ESP. Since scientific study requires that a researcher make observations, this creates a problem in that the parapsychologist is:
A) making an argument from possibility.
B) relying upon authority and low-quality evidence.
C) making the ESP hypothesis untestable.
D) making the ESP hypothesis implausible.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The parapsychologist's claim that the experimenter's negative energy interfered with the ESP makes it impossible to test the ESP hypothesis under normal scientific observation conditions. Therefore, the ESP hypothesis becomes untestable.

When an Experimenter Began to Make Observations of a Psychic's