Forer effect

The Barnum effect, also Forer effect or deception by personal validation (English personal validation fallacy ) called, comes from the psychology and refers to the tendency of people to accept vague and general statements about themselves as a proper description.

The term was introduced by Paul Meehl and is named after the founder Phineas Taylor Barnum circus. This maintained a large cabinet of curiosities (American Museum ), the " every flavor " should offer something ( "a little something for everybody" ). Initial research on this phenomenon, however, found already in the 1920s and 1930s in Germany and France. The term " verification " phenomenon were anticipated key aspects of the Barnum effect.

Forer test series

In his classic experiment, Forer gave before 1948 to complete a personality test to his students. He then handed them ostensibly the evaluations and invited them to the veracity of the numbers 0 ( = strongly disagree ) to 5 ( = applies very well to order.) The result was that the average student evaluation was 4.26 points. In fact, however, all students had to evaluate the exact same text, and this Forer had assembled from a horoscope available on newsstands. Since then, the test was - often repeated - with the same text. The average value was placed by the value 4

The report presented by Forer text read in the original

" 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 able to generate rally compensate_for_errors them. You have Considerable unused capacity did 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 pride yourself so as to 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. "

"You need the affection and admiration of others, while you are prone to self-criticism. While your personality has some weaknesses, but you can compensate for this in general. They have considerable skills lie fallow, instead that you use them to your advantage. Externally, disciplined and controlled, you feel inwardly anxious and insecure. Sometimes you seriously doubt about the correctness of your actions and your decisions. You prefer a certain amount of variety and change, and you are unhappy, if you are constrained by prohibitions and restrictions. You are proud of your independent thinking and take other people's statements are not unproven back. But you consider it unwise to candidly open up to others. Sometimes you behave extroverted, affable and outgoing, sometimes introverted, skeptical and cautious. Your wishes sometimes seem rather unrealistic. "

Barnum statements

Allen Barnum statements have in common is that there is always a lack of objectivity and falsifiability. Barnum statements are for example found in newspaper horoscopes, for example the test series of the American psychologist Bertram R. Forer refer to newspaper horoscopes. You will also find use in Cold Reading and the Divination. Graphology is also considered under the aspect of the Barnum effect.

Typical contents of Barnumaussagen can be found in the following sentences.

• Everyone yearns for a safe environment. Therefore the mention of fears may not be missing.
• Requests, such as a secure job or a good relationship life be interpreted in appropriate events.
• Suitable for both - as-well - looking statements are: " They are mostly resolved, but you wrestle repeatedly to appropriate behavior ".
• Unclear wording such as " They tend to be lazy " ( instead of " You are now lazy", which is true or not true either ).
• Suggested things: "Today, you could hurt someone " suggests a possibility of injury and the reader is looking - and sometimes is - an appropriate action. The reader is not told to look for clues that would demonstrate the opposite.

Gauquelins Serial Killer experiment

The French psychologist Michel Gauquelin examined the Barnumeigenschaften astrological personality profiles. Gauquelin sent in 1968 to 150 people, which he had campaigned on a newspaper ad, their " own personal horoscope ." In fact, each person received the same text, a personality profile that the astrologer André Barbault had created on the basis of the birth data of the serial killer Marcel Petiot (where Barbault did not know to whose dates of birth it was ). Astrological personality profiles exhibit many characteristics of a Barnum - text. Gauquelin asked the subjects to answer several questions, including whether they would recognize themselves and their personal problems in this profile. 94% of 150 subjects affirmed that question, 90 % found the description very apt.

More and similar examples can be found in the list of classic experiments in psychology.