Directions. For each of the following examples, state whether or not there is a problem with the person’s conclusions and explain the problem (if there is one):
i. Sylvia claims she can use her psychic powers to determine what happened to individuals who have been reported missing. She points out that she correctly predicted that several individuals who had been missing for months were dead. A skeptical researcher asks her about several additional people who were recently reported missing and she predicts that they are also dead. However, the researcher discovers that all of them are still living. The researcher asks Sylvia whether these cases cast doubt on her psychic abilities. Sylvia explains that skeptical researchers’ negative vibes often disrupt psychic abilities, and if she had made the predictions without the presence of the researcher, she would have been accurate. Thus, she believes the evidence supports her psychic abilities.