Designing a test for a medium

Here in Chile there is a medium that has gained much fame thanks to a lame episode of cold reading, about all the media went praising on and on for weeks. He was the stable Tarot reader for a TV show, when suddenly he looked to the conductor (a 30+ years old, pregnant woman) and said "The is a male figure standing behind you, and looks concerned". And she replied "Oh,yeah!. He may be my father-in-law, who died last month, and must be worried about my pregnancy, because I´ve not been well, and bla bla bla". "That´s right"-replied this guy-"I already knew that. He says that he is your father-in-law, and is concerned about you pregnancy, and bla bla bla." (Do you recognize the style?).
From then on...boom!. Instant fame.

After that he was "tested" by a parapsicology institute, that showed that he might be "the real thing". And...yes. After this statement, the previously unknown institute is now in headlines. :rolleyes: .That particular test was important, because opened a new market...excuse me, a new psychic skill: recognizing medical condition of a person just by looking at him. This test consisted in making a patient walk in front a the medium, and the would say the illnesses. ("something in the leg"-"something in the heart"-kind of thing). Generalities, you know.

After this long introduction I get to the point. Due to some criticism of the very few chilean skeptical groups (Psicrap, for example;) ) they have decided that they will perform a new "tight" test.

This is the protocol:
- They will place groups of 4 people wearing white coats in front of the medium, across a glass.
- They will hand a medical record, and the medium must be able to tell wich one of the four is the owner of the medical record.
- Nothing else is said about the protocol.

I ask you now, fellows. What provisions should be taken to make this test valid?

I will provide the first ones:
1.- The medium must not be able to speak with the subjects
2.- He must be alone (but under surveillance) in the room
3.- The person that hands the medical records must not know which one of the four is the real one.
4.- The medium must not ask any question during the test, to nobody (investigators, etc)
5.- ??
6.- ??
?.- ??


PD: What should be considered as "statistically significative"?

[Mike D.]

Gabriel,

If you haven't already, you might enjoy reading Mark Tidwell's article about the latest Robertson/Roy protocol for testing mediums:

http://www.skepticreport.com/psychics/robertsonroy2.htm

Mike

[Prester John]

Make sure none of the medical conditions are obvious ;)

That´s a good point.

And even it may seem obvious to all of us, didnt was obvious for this paranormal institute. One of the hits in the first test, is a man that walked very badly, and the psychic said: "Left leg condition".

Come on!!!:rolleyes:

And this guys claim to be psycologists, medical doctor, neurosurgeons, etc.

I´m reading now the article you sugest, Mike. Thanks

[Dragon]

Why does the "psychic" need to see the subject at all?

:confused:

[Garrette]

The sitters also should not know which of their medical records is being handed to the "medium."

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by gabriel

- They will place groups of 4 people wearing white coats in front of the medium, across a glass.
- They will hand a medical record, and the medium must be able to tell wich one of the four is the owner of the medical record.

PD: What should be considered as "statistically significative"?

That depends, how many groups of 4 people will be used?

Garrete: Here in Chile we use only one medical record per person. It has every illness in a cronological disposition.

Tai Chi: How many would you suggest as the minimum required?