ESP believers and ESP disbelievers participated in a study in which they watched two attempts to demonstrate telepathic communication. Although the participants didn't know it, one attempt was rigged to appear successful, and the other attempt was rigged to fail. Following the demonstration:
A) all of the participants incorrectly remembered both attempts as being unsuccessful.
B) the ESP disbelievers thought that ESP did not occur in either demonstration.
C) only the ESP believers said that ESP had taken place in the unsuccessful attempt, thus demonstrating the belief-bias effect.
D) only the ESP disbelievers said that ESP had taken place in the unsuccessful attempt, thus demonstrating the fallacy of positive instances.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This choice reflects the belief-bias effect, where individuals' pre-existing beliefs can influence their decision-making, in this case, their interpretation of the demonstration. The ESP believers were more likely to attribute success to the unsuccessful attempt, despite the fact that it was rigged to fail.

ESP Believers and ESP Disbelievers Participated in a Study in Which