The effects of strategy ("willing" versus absorption) and feedback (immediate versus delayed) on performance at A PK task

In recent work to evaluate the sender’s role in successful ganzfeld GESP experiments, we have used a random number generator (RNG) as a “virtual receiver” in a ganzfeld-like experiment. During the sending period, statements are “selected” from a pool of items to give an “RNG mentation” to be used by an independent judge. After early success in demonstrating the basic effect, later work has explored the effects of the lability of the target selection method (random number table, pseudorandom process, and live RNG) and of the participant (high, intermediate, or low, based on a composite measure) and found a predicted interaction effect between these factors. The present study was designed to confirm that finding and extend it by exploring a putative interaction effect between sending strategy (active/willing versus passive/absorbed) and feedback type (delayed versus immediate). Forty participants generated virtual readings consisting of 24 statements, 8 from each of the 3 selection methods. A significant interaction was found between target lability and sender lability, replicating our earlier effect. Although the interaction effect between sending strategy and feedback type was nonsignificant, a predicted significant effect of feedback for participants in the willing strategy condition was found.