Discussion section meeting # 1

Psychology 242

According to lecture, science is a method that can be applied to understand any topic. As a consequence, determining whether or not something is scientific hinges more on the way people try to understand things rather than the things they are trying to understand.

With this in mind, I would like for you to consider the potential healing power of prayer. Many people believe that it is possible to heal the sick by praying for them. Regardless of your beliefs or opinions on this issue, I would like for you to think about what it would take to study the potential healing power of prayer scientifically.

Please break into groups of 4 to 5 and generate answers to the following questions. After 20 minutes or so, I would like each group to nominate a spokesperson to share the group’s answers with the rest of the class.

(a) Lisa’s husband has a horrible case of pneumonia and the doctors are not confident that he’ll be able to pull through okay. Lisa decides to pray for her husband, and, after seven days, he seems to be recovering. Should Lisa attribute her husband’s recover to prayer? Why or why not?

(b) Try to think of some ways in which you could study the potential healing power of prayer scientifically. What could you do to determine whether prayer works or not?

Homework: Read the article on prayer posted on the class web page and type a one page essay that discusses at least two ways in which Elizabeth Targ’s research on prayer was not scientific in the way we’ve discussed in class. After reading the article, why do you think Dr. Targ was such a strong believer in the healing power of prayer? In what ways did her expectations, beliefs, biases, etc. influence the way she interpreted her data? This essay is due in your next discussion section meeting.