Wiseman
Wiseman
Richard Wiseman is a research psychologist who has published work spanning cognitive illusions, decision-making, and parapsychology methodology. The sources retrieved for this question span studies on skepticism promotion, inattentional blindness, neuro-linguistic programming, consumer psychology, and remote viewing.
Research areas
Skepticism and education. Wiseman and colleagues (2021) investigated whether comics could promote skepticism about the paranormal. Participants in three conditions (comic, magic trick video, or text-based skeptical account) rated their interest in paranormal phenomena before and after exposure. The study found no significant differences between conditions in changes to paranormal belief [1].
Cognitive phenomena. Wiseman and Watt (2015) examined inattentional blindness using a clip from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, finding that 70.4% of participants failed to notice incongruous characters before they left the scene [2].
Lie detection and neuro-linguistic programming. Wiseman, Watt, ten Brinke, and Porter (2012) conducted three studies testing claims from neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) that eye movements could reliably indicate deception. The results failed to support NLP’s claims [3].
Consumer decision-making. Wiseman and Watt (2010) examined whether subtle differences in pupil size on book covers could unconsciously influence consumer choice, using different cover designs for a popular psychology text [4].
Remote viewing and mass participation. Wiseman and Watt (2010) used Twitter as a recruitment platform to conduct a mass-participation test of remote viewing. Participants’ belief in psychic ability showed no significant relationship with remote viewing task performance across four trials [5].
For a full audit of the skepticism-and-comics study, see the study audit page.
References
- Wiseman, R., Collver, J., Worth, R., & Watt, C. A. (2021). Hocus Pocus: using comics to promote skepticism about the paranormal. Journal of Science Communication, 20, A04-A04. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.20020204
- Wiseman, R., & Watt, C. A. (2015). And now for something completely different: Inattentional blindness during a Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch. I-Perception, 6, 38–40.
- Wiseman, R., Watt, C. A., Brinke, L. t., & Porter, S. (2012). The Eyes Don’t Have It: Lie Detection and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. PLoS…, 7, e40259-e40259. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040259
- Wiseman, R., & Watt, C. A. (2010). Judging a book by its cover: The unconscious influence of pupil size on consumer choice. Perception, 39, 1417–1419.
- Wiseman, R., & Watt, C. A. (2010). Research brief: “ Twitter ” as a new research tool: Proof of principle with a mass participation test of remote viewing. European Journal of Parapsychology.
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