Margaret L Anderson (1920–1986) was a parapsychologist and professor of education at the University of Pittsburgh. She worked with Rhea White on testing children for ESP.
Life and Career
Margaret L Anderson was born in Mt Vernon, Illinois. After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1940 she became a teacher and high school principal. She joined the American Red Cross and served in France and Germany during World War II. She then returned to teaching, obtaining a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh.
Parapsychology
Anderson became interested in the possibility that ‘psi may play a direct role in the educational process as mediated by the teacher-pupil relationship’.1White (1987), 111. To investigate this, she obtained a position at the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory in 1954; there sheworked with Rhea White in what became known as the ‘Anderson-White’ school experiments. The pair discovered that the extent of ESP displayed was affected by the positive or negative emotional relationship with the teacher administering the test.2Anderson & White (1957), 81-97. However, other researchers failed to confirm the effect.3Rhine (1977), 43.
In 1961 Anderson was the joint-winner with RA McConnell of the prestigious McDougall Award for their ESP research, which was published in the Journal of Psychology in the same year.4Anderson & McConnell (1961), 491-503.
Anderson was a member of the Parapsychological Association, serving as its treasurer and as president in 1962.
Selected Articles
Teacher-pupil attitudes and clairvoyance test results (1956, with R. White). Journal of Parapsychology 20, 141-57.
Clairvoyance and teacher-pupil attitudes in fifth and sixth grades (1957). Journal of Parapsychology 21, 1-12.
A further investigation of teacher-pupil attitudes and clairvoyance tests results (1957, with R. White). Journal of Parapsychology 21/2, 81-97.
The relationship between changes in student attitude and ESP scoring (1958, with R. White). Journal of Parapsychology 23, 149-77.
A survey of work on ESP and teacher-pupil attitudes (1958, with R. White). Journal of Parapsychology 22/4, 246-68.
A precognition experiment comparing time intervals of a few days and one year (1959). Journal of Parapsychology 23, 81-89.
A two-year programme of tests for clairvoyance and precognition with a class of public school pupils (1959, with E. Gregory). Journal of Parapsychology 23, 149-77.
Fantasy testing for ESP in a fourth and fifth grade class (1961, with R.A. McConnell). Journal of Psychology 52, 491-503.
The use of fantasy in testing for extrasensory perception (1966). Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 60, 150.
Melvyn Willin
Literature
Anderson, M.L., & McConnell, R.A. (1961). Fantasy testing for ESP in a fourth and fifth grade class. Journal of Psychology 52, 491-503.
Anderson, M.L., & White, R. (1957). A further investigation of teacher-pupil attitudes and clairvoyance tests results. Journal of Parapsychology 21/2, 81-97.
Osis, K. (1987). A tribute to Margaret L. Anderson 1920-1985 [sic]. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research 81, 257-60.
Rhine, J.B. (1977). History of experimental studies in Handbook of Parapsychology, ed. by B.B. Wolman. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
White, R. (1987). Tribute to an experimenter: Margaret L. Anderson. Journal of Parapsychology 51/2, 111-16.