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pronounce BARNUM EFFECT: Say it "BAR num ee fect." Or, if you like to be a little more relaxed: "BAR num uh fect." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: My daughter Taylor is eight. She loves YouTube. The other day, she got us taking a silly quiz there. You know that kind of quiz, right? You answer questions about your personality, then tally up your score, and find out at the end what your secret superpower is. Taylor's is intelligence. So is mine. I was hoping for telekinesis. We had a good time. But afterwards, I was in a pickle: I really wanted to explain to her why this kind of personality quiz is deceptive, meaningless, and unscientific: how it's all in good fun if you don't take it seriously, but how it's potentially harmful if you do. How it's a special kind of bull crap, the kind that we fall prey to when we believe our horoscopes or define ourselves by our Myers-Briggs types, or eat up all those compliments at the end of the quiz, like "You absorb new knowledge and skills incredibly fast." I want Taylor to think critically, and not grow up into a woman who believes that Saturn's position will affect her mood tomorrow or that she should spend $65 on shampoo just because some company got her to answer a bunch of questions about her super-unique hair and its super-unique needs. But, you know, Taylor will tune out if I talk too long. Also, I couldn't think of the word or phrase that describes this type of bull crap. Also, I bought that shampoo. It was a dumb thing to do. Luckily, I stumbled on the right phrase a few days later. It's the Barnum effect! It's when we buy into totally generic descriptions--the kind that apply to anyone, and the kind brimming with compliments--and believe that they truly apply to us, specifically and individually. Once we know this phrase, it's easier to talk about the idea and its harms, so we can resist them. The Barnum effect is an example of a cog______ bias: a flaw in how we think or how we remember. (Can you recall that word, cog______? It means "related to thinking, knowing, learning, or using what you've learned.'") Another example of this kind of bias is the h___ effect. This one is when we overgeneralize how good something or someone is, based on limited evidence. Can you recall it? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  definition: In brief, the Barnum effect is the mistaken impression that vague, general, generic descriptions of personality apply to you, specifically and uniquely, especially when those descriptions say nice things about you. Now, if you like a good backstory, keep reading! In 1949, the American psychologist Bertram R. Forer was annoyed at how people use and trust personality tests that churn out meaningless statements that apply to literally all humans, like "While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them" and "You have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage." He wanted to prove how foolish people are when they swallow this nonsense. So, naturally, he made fools of his Intro to Psych students, and he told the whole story in this paper, titled "The Fallacy of Personal Validation: A Classroom Demonstration of Gullibility."  He had his 39 students write down detailed information about their "hobbies, reading materials, personal characteristics, job duties, and secret hopes and ambitions." A week later, he handed them each "a typed personality sketch with his name written on it" and urged them to keep their sketches secret from each other. The sketches were lengthy and included statements like "At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, reserved." After letting the students read their sketches, Forer asked them to raise their hands if the sketches did a good job of assessing their personalities. They all did. Of course, all the sketches were exactly the same. Which Forer used as proof of how common it is when people believe that some generic description of most human personalities applies to them personally and meaningfully, especially if they're complimentary, and especially if the person provided a bunch of information or answers beforehand. ("Hey, wait," you're saying. "Forer went into that experiment with his opinion fully formed. It's a garbage experiment. His opinions tainted the results." Good point! However, his findings have been replicated. The effect is pretty consistent.) Forer called that phenomenon the "fallacy of personal validation." Later, others called it the Forer effect. And shortly afterward, in 1956, the American psychologist Paul E. Meehl, who worked with clinical patients rather than psychology students, and who was annoyed by the generic and useless psychoanalytical write-ups that other professionals churned out, renamed it the Barnum effect. (Meehl didn't credit Forer, so he may have been unaware that the idea had already been identified and named.) For context, you'll recall that P.T. Barnum (1810-1891) was that American circus showman who earned wealth and fame partly by promoting hoaxes and exploiting people with rare and startling conditions, e.g., conjoined twins. Barnum claimed he had something for everyone--something he could sell them, that is. And many people credit him as the first to say "There's a sucker born every minute." Meehl wrote: "Many psychometric reports bear a disconcerting resemblance to what my colleague Donald G. Paterson calls 'personality description after the manner of P. T. Barnum.' I suggest—and I am quite serious—that we adopt the phrase Barnum effect to stigmatize those pseudo-successful clinical procedures in which personality descriptions from tests are made to fit the patient largely or wholly by virtue of their triviality." I figure that Meehl's label, "the Barnum effect," is catchier and easier to understand than "the Forer effect" and "the fallacy of personal validation." But whatever you call it, here, again, is what it is: the mistaken impression that vague, general, generic descriptions of personality apply to you, specifically and uniquely, especially when those descriptions say nice things about you. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun: "They're trying to use the Barnum effect;" "Every entrée comes with a fortune cookie and the Barnum effect." Other forms:  You can use "Barnum" as noun meaning "nonsense, showmanship, hucksterism." And, you can call some huckster a "Barnum" (or more fully, a "P. T. Barnum"). Here's the AP: "[Semple McPherson was] considered the P.T. Barnum of the pulpit." And you can talk about Barnumizing things: advertising them or showing them off with outrageous lies. Those lies themselves are Barnumisms, and the use of such lying language is Barnumism. Finally, you can talk about "Barnum statements," the complimentary kind that apply to any personality, like "You are able to find creative solutions to difficult problems" or "You are generally cheerful and optimistic but get depressed at times." how to use it: Talk about people who use or employ the Barnum effect, profit from it, fall victim to it, recognize it, work to neutralize it, etc. You may need to gloss this term when you use it: that is, explain what it means. It's pretty rare. examples: "Most psychic forecasts are far more general than they sound. They tell you something is going to happen and you have to live out your whole life before you can say they are wrong...The Barnum effect is alive and well."    — Eugene Emery and Joe Nickell, as quoted by Don Oldenburg, Washington Post, 11 January 2001 "Psychics prey upon the most desperate... and then make generalizations that 'fit' any given situation. It's called the Barnum Effect, and it fills me with disgust to see programs such as 'Psychic Detectives' broadcast on American television."    — Commenter, New York Times, 1 March 2007 has this page helped you understand "Barnum effect"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "Barnum effect" without saying "swallowing horoscope-style information" or "believing it when the personality test says how special you are." try it out: I've painted the Barnum effect in a pretty harsh light. I should point out that I'm not disparaging anyone who enjoys reading their horoscopes, talking to psychics, or taking personality quizzes. I figure, if you derive meaning from any of that, or from a dream you had, or a shape in a cloud, or a penny on the ground, or a Jesus-face-shaped slice of toast--then, you know, that's great. Truly. That means something to you, and no one can (or should) take that from you. Talk about the difference between falling prey to the Barnum effect and finding meaning in generic or random information. What are some of your own experiences relevant to either of these things? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month: It Sounds Wiser in Latin.  Try matching a handful of Latin phrases to their English translations. If you need some clues, I'll provide them in the form of definitions of related words. Enjoy! Try these today: 1. alea jacta est 2. desiderium spe vacuum 3. emere malo quam rogare 4. gloria virtutis umbra 5. in cœlo quies A. a desire devoid of hope B. glory is the attendant (literally, the shadow) of virtue C. I had rather buy than beg D. the die is cast E. there is rest in heaven To peek at the clues, follow the links:    1. Something aleatory is...    2. A desideratum is...    3. A penumbra is... review this word: 1. The opposite of the BARNUM EFFECT could be a tendency to inspire _____. A. unity B. loyalty C. skepticism 2. A good example of a Barnum statement is "_____." A. You should never give up on your dreams B. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself C. You will be tempted with food and wine; do not accept, or you will never escape Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. B Answers to the game questions: 1. alea jacta est = the die is cast 2. desiderium spe vacuum = a desire devoid of hope 3. emere malo quam rogare = I had rather buy than beg 4. gloria virtutis umbra = glory is the attendant (literally, the shadow) of virtue 5. in cœlo quies = there is rest in heaven a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.