Citation

Stanford’s psi-mediated instrumental response (PMIR) model proposes that psi is an evolutionarily adaptive function that largely works in the service of the organism but which operates at an almost completely unconscious level. A series of successful experiments conducted by Luke and associates have explored the PMIR model with an automated nonintentional precognition task with postexperimental outcome-contingent tasks that vary in pleasantness commensurate with psi task success. Until now this test paradigm explored only nonintentional tasks so this study compares nonintentional with intentional psi task conditions to explore the unconscious psi proposition of the PMIR model. A sample of 40 psychology student participants completed 10 trials each of the automated precognition task, with 20 participants randomly allocated to the nonintentional condition and 20 to the intentional condition in an independent groups design. Contrary to previous findings psi scoring overall was below mean chance expectation (MCE), although nonsignificant. In line with predictions based on the PMIR model, however, task participants in the nonintentional condition scored above MCE and scored higher than those in the intentional condition, though these differences were not significant. Measures of belief in psi, openness to experience, and emotional creativity were found not to correlate with psi scores. The findings are discussed in light of previous studies with suggestions for future research.