Barnum Effect (Why do we attribute high accuracy to vague statements?)
The Barnum Effect, a brief explanation
What is the Barnum Effect?
The Barnum effect describes the tendency to rate vague and unspecific statements (e.g., personality characteristics) as being very specific and accurate.
Examples
When reading a horoscope regular readers (if they believe it) will believe that it specifically relates to them when in fact it is a generic, vague and undetailed statement.
Fortune tellers providing generic and undetailed ‘fortunes’ to a customer e.g., you will meet someone with dark hair / more opportunities will be presented.
The literature
Huizi, C. & Yiwei, X. (2022). Understanding the impact of Barnum effect in astrology: an eye-tracking study. The Frontiers of Society, Science and Technology, 4(12). Doi. 10.25236/FSST.2022.041210
Escolà-Gascón, Á., Dagnall, N., Denovan, A., Drinkwater, K. & Diez-Bosch, M. (2023). Who falls for fake news? Psychological and clinical profiling evidence of fake news consumers. Personality and Individual Differences, 200 (111893). Doi: 10.1916/j.paid.2022.111893
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