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Psychology / Unit 10   Psych 1164 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Barnum Effect

Captions available

The idea

The Barnum effect is the tendency to accept vague, broadly applicable personality descriptions as specifically accurate about oneself.

In practice

Participants given identical generic profiles rate them as highly accurate descriptions of themselves.

Where people slip

The Barnum effect is why an assessment feeling accurate is not evidence that it is.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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