To the question of how to respond to students who cling to notion that twins
know (remotely) when things happen to each other: I attack it in several
ways:
1)I tell them how I often, while driving home, had a feeling that something
dreadful happened to my (then) young children. I would invariably arrive
home to find them safe and sound. (In fact, one now a member of this
list!) It's human nature to forget those negative predictions and remember
the exceedingly rare confirmation.
2)I take the opportunity to point out that controlled attempts to verify the
phenomenon in the laboratory have routinely failed and that replicability is
a hallmark of the scientific enterprise.
3)I take the opportunity to explain how, despite items 1 & 2 above, it's
logically imposssible to prove the null hypothesis e.g., the existence of
Santa Claus..
4)I have the added advantage of being an identical twin, myself. So they're
more likely to be me when I tell them it's a "crock." If it will help, tell
them you know an MZ twin who said so! <g>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. Office (610)436-2945
Professor and Chairperson Home (610)363-1939
Department of Psychology FAX (610)436-2846
West Chester University [EMAIL PROTECTED]
West Chester, PA 19383 www.wcupa.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Husband, father, biopsychologist and bluegrass fiddler...........
not necessarily in order of importance. AAFOUF#0064
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
