What is the Barnum effect?
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The Barnum Effect
The Barnum Effect is a cognitive bias that occurs when people believe generic personality descriptions and statements apply specifically to them. It may explain how practices such as astrology, fortune telling and personality tests have become relatively accepted despite lacking any basis in fact. In academic fields it's more often referred to as the Fora Effect or Subjective Validation. The name comes from an American entertainer and entrepreneur who founded the Barnum Circus in 1871.
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