The **sheep-goat effect** is a term coined by parapsychologist [[Gertrude Schmeidler]] in 1942 to describe the tendency for individuals who believe in [[Psi|psychic]] phenomena (sheep) to score better in [[ESP]] and [[Psychokinesis|PK]] experiments than those who are skeptical (goats).[^1] Schmeidler, a Harvard-educated experimental psychologist, conducted experiments with psychology students at the City University of New York. Her analysis of the data led her to create this distinction, which has become a well-known concept in [[Parapsychology]]. The sheep-goat divide is not only present in the general population but also existed within the U.S. military and intelligence communities, influencing the dynamics of government-sponsored psychic research.[^1] --- [^1]: Jacobsen, Annie. *Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis*. Little, Brown and Company, 2017.