23857122-0457-180273-0389

CONPriagoew ar TAR U, & ATR FORCE No. of pages = | HEADQUARTERS, AIR MATERIEL COMMAQD ENGINEERING DIVISION MOREXDO/PMF /maf MEMORANDUM REFORT ON 28 April i9l9 SUBJECT: Psychological Analysis of Reports of Unidentified Aerial Objects SECTION: Aero Medical Laboratory SERIAL NO.: MCREXD=69)»15D Expenditure Order Now HlieZS be FURPOSEs 1. At the request of the Technical Intelligence Division, Intelligence Department, AMC, an anclysis has been made, fran a psychological point of view, of 212 investigaticns of persons reporting sightings of unidentified aerial objects. Be FACTUAL DAT As 2, <Areport of this analysis is attached as Appendix A. Ce CONCLUSIONS ¢ 3%. It is cocluded by the writer that there are sufficient psychological explanations for the reports of unidentified flying objects to provide plausible sxplanations for reports not otherwise explainable. These errors in identifying real stimuli result chiefly from inability to estimate speed, distance and size. De RECOMMENDATIONS s lL. Test the ability of pilots to estimate the course of a small lighted balloon while doing acrobatics with it at night. It is sug cested that several pilots try to fly pursuit ourves and collision courses on such targets at night and report accurately their sensations. It wald be desirable, but probably impossible, to keep them from knowing the nature of the light source. | Be In all future reports of unidentified objects specify the location of obsect with reference to polar coordinates (direction and degrees above the horizon) rather than asking intividuals to estimate distance. If possible, obtain an estimate of size in terms of the visual angle sube tended by the objecte 6, In all future investigations determine the angular position of the sun with respect to the unidentified object and the observer. CONFIDENTIAL Declassification Authority: NND 57565