Tendency to interpret vague statements as meaningful ones
For the TV episode, see The Irrational.
"Forer" redirects here. For people with the surname, see Forer (surname).
The Barnum effect, also called the Forer effect or, less commonly, the Barnum–Forer effect, is a common psychological phenomenon whereby individuals give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically to them, yet which are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people.[1] This effect can provide a partial explanation for the widespread acceptance of some paranormal beliefs and practices, such as astrology, fortune telling, aura reading, and some types of personality tests.[1]
Psychologist Bertram Forer originally named it the "fallacy of personal validation".[2] The term "Barnum effect" was coined in 1956 by psychologist Paul Meehl in his essay "Wanted – A Good Cookbook", because he relates the vague personality descriptions used in certain "pseudo-successful" psychological tests to those given by showman P. T. Barnum.[3][4]
^ ab"Barnum Effect". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
^"Barnum Effect". APA Dictionary of Psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. n.d. Retrieved December 31, 2021. The effect was termed the fallacy of personal validation by U.S. psychologist Bertram Robin Forer (1914–2000), who first studied it in 1949.
^Meehl, Paul E. (1956). "Wanted – A Good Cookbook". American Psychologist. 11 (6): 263–272. doi:10.1037/h0044164.
^Dutton, D. L. (1988). "The cold reading technique". Experientia. 44 (4): 326–332. doi:10.1007/BF01961271. PMID 3360083. S2CID 2382430. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
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