Forer Effect: Why Do You Believe in Horoscopes and Fortune Telling?

Do fortune telling and horoscopes really predict our future or personality? Discover what the Forer effect or Barnum effect consists of in our psychology and how to avoid it.

Do you believe in divination and horoscopes ? Perhaps you are under the spell of the Forer effect, a psychological bias that explains why people believe so fervently in this type of pseudoscience.

What is the Forer effect?

Also known as Barnum effect, is the psychological phenomenon that explains why many people may believe generalized personality descriptions as if they were accurate descriptions of their unique personality. The same thing happens with poorly detailed information about our future and past when someone tries to make a divination about our lives.

Thus, the Forer effect It refers to the tendency that most people have to think that generalized information describes us perfectly.

The name of Barnum effect honors showman PT Barnum, who used this psychological tendency to manipulate people based on the beliefs around it. In this way, Barnum only gave a very broad description of personality and discovered that the vast majority of people were gullible enough to think that it was really a divination about their reality.

But, it is better known as Forer effect since the first to demonstrate this psychological trait was the psychologist Bertram R. Forer who verified it through his students by performing a personality test with false results.

What is the Forer effect or the Barnum effect based on?

There is a series of psychological traits which make the Forer effect possible. Among the most notable we find the following.

1. Preference for the positive

The natural tendency of humans is to believe in positive traits rather than negative ones. For this reason, horoscopes and people who are dedicated to divination tend to have a greater tendency to highlight many more positive qualities or experiences than negative ones. This happens because these positive descriptions feed our ego. Since on many occasions we do not want to accept our defects, we accept the positive as if it were automatically a reality.

2. Tendency towards narratives

Humans also have a natural tendency to prefer information that is related. The reason for this is that if it is only data, it is more difficult for us to attach ourselves emotionally to the data. Therefore, when a horoscope, personality or divination test Telling us our traits or experiences in a descriptive way manages to capture our attention more and thus penetrate our narrative.

3. Pollyanna principle or positivity bias

This principle refers to the fact that people tend to remember pleasant events more accurately than negative ones. In this way, it is for this reason that divination or horoscopes They usually have much more positive information or descriptions than negative ones.

4. Barnum’s statements

He Forer effect or Barnum effect The so-called Barnum statements are also expressed in response. These statements are clearly vague and include information that may point out to everyone who reads them. That is, general statements often end up seeming detailed and towards us because it is applicable to anyone.

It is through these principles of the Forer effect how some people can take advantage of people’s gullibility. In some cases, harming decision-making or some aspects of the person’s psyche. Therefore, if you have a problem, we recommend that you go to a professional psychologist.

Examples of the Forer effect

There are various examples of how the Forer effect or Barnum effect It can affect our lives. Among the most influential we find the following.

Astrology, magic and divination

The horoscopes They have existed for more than 2000 years. There are people who fervently believe that this type of pseudoscience is real. In reality, many people behind it take advantage of the so-called Forer effect. But it is not only used in horoscopes, but also in magic shows and in divination (such as in Tarot cards).

Social networks

Social networks also take advantage of the psychology behind Forer effect or Barnum effect In this way, platforms like Netflix and Spotify use these psychological traits to personalize information for their users and present it in a way that is more impactful according to their personality. This can be seen when they use the ‘recommended for you’ tab, although they are suggestions based on your last views, many people believe that this content is special for them, pushing them to view this content before that of other platforms.

How to avoid the Forer effect or Barnum effect?

As we can see the Forer or Barnum effect It has its dark side since it can impact our decision-making and reasoning. Therefore, it may be interesting to know how to avoid this type of psychological traits.

• Have an open mind

Being a flexible person can give us many advantages both personally and professionally. When we come across information that is presented to us with generalizations, in a descriptive way and alluding to us, we must be open to a critical spirit around this data.

• Self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to know our emotions, sensations and our body. Through personal awareness we can come to understand more what affects us. Therefore, we can avoid the dangers of Forer effect or Barnum effect

• Mental control

Our mind has the tendency to look for information that enhances our ego. This is why horoscopes and divination are so successful. If you practice some mental control you can avoid falling into the manipulation that others may have towards you.

Avoid the Forer effect or Barnum effect It can be one of the ways to have more control over your life and your decision making. Inner work, whether with a psychologist or by yourself, will always give you greater mental strength.