Rhine and the extrasensory perception experiments
J. B. RhineLouisa RhineKarl Zener
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
J. B. Rhine carried out thousands of guessing trials with five-symbol Zener cards at Duke University and reported more hits than chance would predict. He popularised the term "extrasensory perception" (ESP). Critics pointed to problems such as cards being visible from the back, poor shuffling and statistical errors.
For specialists
Chance expectation is 20% hits. Hit rates above 30% over long series were reported for some of Rhine's subjects. Replication attempts in other laboratories mostly stayed at chance level. Rhine developed stricter protocols separating subjects and experimenters (e.g. the Pearce–Pratt series); Hansel pointed out that cheating was possible even under these protocols.
Claims
- Some people can guess card symbols with more hits than chance, without known sensory channels.[1]
Evidence
Supporting
In long experimental series some subjects' hit rates were significantly above the 20% expected by chance.[1]
Challenging
Methodological loopholes were shown, such as cards being visible from the back, shuffling and recording errors and the possibility of subject cheating; independent replications mostly failed.[2]
Connections
Sources
- Book (1934). Extra-Sensory Perception. Boston Society for Psychic Research, Boston
- Book (1980). ESP and Parapsychology: A Critical Re-evaluation. Prometheus Books, Buffalo NY
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Rhine and the extrasensory perception experiments. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/rhine/
@misc{athena_rhine,
title = {Rhine and the extrasensory perception experiments},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/rhine/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history