---
aliases:
- Sheep-Goat Effect
- sheep-goat effect
category: Psi Phenomenon
created: 2025-07-23
location: City University of New York
start: 1942-01-01
summary: The sheep-goat effect is a term coined by parapsychologist Gertrude Schmeidler
  in 1942 to describe the tendency for individuals who believe in psi phenomena to
  score better in ESP and psychokinesis experiments than skeptics.
tags:
- Concept
- Parapsychology
- Research
title: Sheep-Goat Effect
updated: 2026-05-17
---

The sheep-goat effect is a term coined by parapsychologist [Gertrude Schmeidler](/people/gertrude-schmeidler/) in 1942 to describe the tendency for individuals who believe in [psychic](/concepts/psi/) phenomena (sheep) to score better in [ESP](/concepts/extrasensory-perception/) and [PK](/concepts/psychokinesis/) 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](/concepts/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.