Messages to Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life; the Importance of Age
Faculty Mentor
Tim Lower
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 11:00 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Psychology
Abstract
The current study is part of an ongoing program of collaborative research between METI International and the Laboratory for New Phenomenology at EWU, which provides participants with the opportunity to draft a message they would wish to send to extraterrestrial life forms elsewhere in the universe. A separate poster analyzed and compared Dr. Vakoch’s 2013 study results with this 2026 data set to identify themes in the current messages that are consistent. Messages to Intelligent Life Elsewhere in the Universe (Mamomov, Sideras, & Wenski, 2026). This study, taken at a mid-sized university, and composed of 210 volunteer participants, will focus on variation in word patterns, variation in locus of control scoring, and variations in general themes across three age groups. The poster will use a hybrid qualitative and quantitative descriptive research strategy and language analysis software program to produce these themes with known confidence estimates, and we further examine the interrelations between age, locus of control, and word variations. We discuss our findings in light of previous research and considering current limitations, then recommend steps for further research to conclude.
Recommended Citation
Wenski, Emma and Sideras, Jessica, "Messages to Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life; the Importance of Age" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 39.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p1_2026/39
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Messages to Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life; the Importance of Age
PUB NCR
The current study is part of an ongoing program of collaborative research between METI International and the Laboratory for New Phenomenology at EWU, which provides participants with the opportunity to draft a message they would wish to send to extraterrestrial life forms elsewhere in the universe. A separate poster analyzed and compared Dr. Vakoch’s 2013 study results with this 2026 data set to identify themes in the current messages that are consistent. Messages to Intelligent Life Elsewhere in the Universe (Mamomov, Sideras, & Wenski, 2026). This study, taken at a mid-sized university, and composed of 210 volunteer participants, will focus on variation in word patterns, variation in locus of control scoring, and variations in general themes across three age groups. The poster will use a hybrid qualitative and quantitative descriptive research strategy and language analysis software program to produce these themes with known confidence estimates, and we further examine the interrelations between age, locus of control, and word variations. We discuss our findings in light of previous research and considering current limitations, then recommend steps for further research to conclude.
