Editing Parapsychology (section)

===Anomalistic psychology===
{{Main|Anomalistic psychology}}

In anomalistic psychology, paranormal phenomena have naturalistic explanations resulting from [[Psychology|psychological]] and [[Physics|physical]] factors, which have sometimes given the impression of paranormal activity to some people when, in fact, there have been none.<ref name="Zusne 1989"/><ref>Nicola Holt, Christine Simmonds-Moore, David Luke, Christopher French. (2012). ''Anomalistic Psychology (Palgrave Insights in Psychology)''. Palgrave Macmillan. {{ISBN|978-0230301504}}</ref> According to the psychologist [[Chris French]]:

{{blockquote|The difference between anomalistic psychology and parapsychology is in terms of the aims of what each discipline is about. Parapsychologists typically are actually searching for evidence to prove the reality of paranormal forces, to prove they really do exist. So the starting assumption is that paranormal things do happen, whereas anomalistic psychologists tend to start from the position that paranormal forces probably don't exist and that therefore we should be looking for other kinds of explanations, in particular the psychological explanations for those experiences that people typically label as paranormal.<ref>{{cite interview |url=http://www.videojug.com/interview/anomalistic-psychology-2 |subject=Chris French |title=Anomalistic Psychology |website=videojug |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520125500/http://www.videojug.com/interview/anomalistic-psychology-2 |archive-date=2013-05-20}}</ref>}}

While parapsychology has declined, anomalistic psychology has risen. It is now offered as an option in some psychology degree programs. It is also an option on the A2 psychology syllabus in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.nature.com/soapboxscience/2011/12/19/the-rise-of-anomalistic-psychology-%E2%80%93-and-the-fall-of-parapsychology|title=The rise of anomalistic psychology – and the fall of parapsychology? : Soapbox Science|website=blogs.nature.com}}</ref>