Parapsychology, Problem Solving, and Interpersonal Attraction
"Unusually successful" executives may possess greater precognitive powers than the general population (3 , 4 ) . As few attempts have been made to tesr extrasensory abilities of moderately successful and promising managers and emergent leaders, preferred friends, and perceived high performers, this study had a rwofold purpose. First, the precognitive powers of a group of moderately successful managers ( n = 1 0 ) were contrasted with those of a group of clerks ( n = 1 0 ) . Groups were shown a closed deck of ESP cards where 25 cards composed of five each of five basic figures such as stars, wavy lines, etc., were displayed. Subjects were exposed to four iterations or 100 cards ( 5 ) . The mean correct predictions of -24 by the managers was not significantly different from the mean o8f 21 for the clerks ( p = .05) . The second objective was to examine whether differences in precognitive powers could be associated with various criteria of interpersonal attraction such as emergent leadership and friendship, and performance criterion for a group of bookkeepers (n = 2 4 ) . The criteria were selected according to itemized guidelines ( 1 ) and measured by Jennings' method ( 2 ) . The supervisor of the bookkeepers was asked to select the four most promotable members of the group. In these analyses an open deck of ESP cards was used. In this deck were 25 cards but the number of cards displaying any particular figure could vary from 0 to 25. Once again four iterations or 100 cards were used. Results show the most promotable subgroup with a mean of 1 7 correct predictions was slightly less but not significantly different from the remainder of the group with a mean score of 19. Neither score was significantly different from chance expectation. The sociometric tesr was designed to differentiate those group members who were overchosen as informal leaders, friends, and as the perceived best workers from the remainder of the group members. None of the results were statistically significant when the overchosen subsets under the various criteria were compared with the remainder of the group ( p = .05). The data generated in these two analyses provides no evidence for the idea that managers in general have higher precognitive powers than other members of the public. There was also no evidence to suggest that the selected criteria of interpersonal attraction were associated with higher extrasensory perceptual powers. This limited information confirms the argument that, if precognitive powers are markedly present in very successful executives, they are not evident among moderately successful managers, clerks, o r persons nominated on the basis of selected criteria of interpersonal attraction.