What is the Barnum Effect? The Reason the Prophecy Feels Right
The Barnum Effect is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to perceive an accurate description of themselves as if it were made especially for them.
Nurdiansyah
You must have read articles about personality based on your zodiac sign, and then you wondered, "Why, how come? How can zodiac articles match a person's personality?" Not strictly a zodiac article; forecast; personality tests based on specific body traits---such as blood type; or various character tests give accurate results. Your psychology can be affected by the Barnum Effect.
Hmm... Interesting. So, what is the Barnum Effect?
The Barnum Effect is a psychological phenomenon that makes people perceive an accurate description of themselves as if it was made especially for them. The brain gives confidence that the statement obtained is true, even though the description can also be applied to everyone.
Origin of Barnum Effect
Around the 19th century, an American named Barnum owned the Barnum & Bailey Circus business owner. The circus group is very famous because, according to the audience, its members have many unique features. Barnum only fabricated and conveyed hoaxes.
Barnum recruits people with physical disabilities, such as dwarfs and conjoined twins, from the slums. At the show's time, Barnum conveys an essay about his members as if the physical abnormalities of Barnum & Balley Circus members are rare miracles.
Not only that, but Barnum also once displayed a skeleton that he said was a mermaid skeleton, even though the skeleton was a combination of a monkey and fish skeleton made of mashed paper.
Hmm... If you lived in the era when Barnum lived, do you think you would believe what Barnum's Circus said?
Barnum once said, "There's a sucker born every minute". It invited many protests, one of which was from a psychologist named Paul Everett Meehl. Paul said Barnum's words were not necessarily true and without basis. That's where the term Barnum Effect was born.
Research by Bertram R. Forer
After Paul, Bertram R. Forer did some research. He conducted psychological tests on 39 students by telling them they would get a personality description. After sharing the personality description results, most students considered the test results accurate, with an average score of 4.26 on a scale of 0 to 5. The contents of the personality test by Bertram were taken from astrology books and very commonly used sentences.
An example of a standard description commonly found in divination and astrology such as "You have extraordinary potential that you can find in this month." It's a common phrase that anyone can have. However, because of the Barnum effect or what can be called the Barnum-Forer effect, the statement is interpreted as true by the brain and makes it look like you are the only one that fits that description.
The Dangers and Benefits of the Barnum Effect
Is the Barnum effect dangerous? Some conditions can have a negative effect, such as reduced self-confidence; increasing worry about something that hasn't happened yet; thoughts becoming toxic because of bad prejudice; it can even cause thoughts to be less realistic.
However, this Barnum effect also has benefits, you know. The Barnum effect can be used to instil positive suggestions into someone. Humans tend to believe in good qualities in themselves, so you can use them to make yourself or others a better person.
How? Interesting right? Oia, there is good news for those who have read this article; your thoughts will feel more enlightened.
