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The Forer effect (also called personal validation fallacy or the Barnum effect after P. T. Barnum) is the observation that individuals will give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically for them, but are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people. The Forer effect can provide a partial explanation for the widespread acceptance of some pseudosciences, such as astrology, graphology and fortune telling. Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) by Mathew Brady 1856 newspaper advertisement for Barnums American Museum Parody of Jenny Linds first American tour for P.T. Barnum, New York City, October 1850 Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891), American showman who...
It has been suggested that Personality psychology be merged into this article or section. ...
Phrenology is regarded today as being a classic example of pseudoscience. ...
Astrology refers to any of several systems, traditions or beliefs in which knowledge of the apparent positions of celestial bodies is held to be useful in understanding, interpreting, and organizing knowledge about human affairs and events on Earth. ...
Graphology is the study of handwriting and its connection to behavior, and related data points. ...
Gypsies fortune-telling. ...
Forer's demonstration
In 1948, psychologist Bertram R. Forer gave a personality test to his students, and then gave them a personality analysis, supposedly based on the test's results. He invited each of them to rate the analysis on a scale of 0 (very poor) to 5 (excellent) as it applied to themselves: the average was 4.26. He then revealed that each student had been given the same analysis: 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...
A psychologist is a scientist who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human behavior and mental processes. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
- "You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic."
Forer had assembled this text from horoscopes. In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the planets, other celestial bodies, and sensitive angles at the time of any event, such as a persons birth. ...
Horoscopes Skeptics claim that the Forer effect explains the popularity and perceived predictive powers of horoscopes. In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the planets, other celestial bodies, and sensitive angles at the time of any event, such as a persons birth. ...
Variables influencing the effect Later studies have found that subjects give higher accuracy ratings if the following are true - the subject believes that the analysis only applies to them
- the subject believes in the authority of the evaluator
- the analysis lists mainly positive traits
See (Dickson and Kelly 1985) for a review of the literature.
External links RealMedia is a multimedia container format created by RealNetworks. ...
References - Forer, B. R. (1949). The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 44, 118-123.
- Dickson, D. H. and Kelly, I. W. (1985). The 'Barnum Effect' in Personality Assessment: A Review of the Literature. Psychological Reports, 57, 367-382.
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