by K.D.

Created on: January 23, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Is it embarrassing to believe in ghosts? Apparently many people think so. I came across a story that cited an interesting experiment involving the belief in ghosts. All participants were asked if they believed in ghosts and most denied any such beliefs.

The study asked a sample of college students to test their abstract thinking skills by taking a computerized exam that had been designed to allow cheating. All participants were told that the highest scorer would receive a $50 cash prize.

The students were then split into 3 groups to take the exam. The first set of participants were given straight forward instructions about how to complete the test and told nothing else. The second set were asked to read a fabricated bio of the alleged programmer who died shortly after developing the program on which they were to take the exam. The last set were asked to read the same bio and were also told that there had been sightings of the programmer in the same room where they were to be tested.

Interestingly enough, the study found that those participants in the third group were far less likely to cheat than those in the other two groups. It is common knowledge that the mere presence of an observer influences the behavior of the observed. But who would have thought that even the thought of a potential ghost in the room would also make someone think twice before engaging in questionable acts!

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