n. an individual’s tendency to accept concepts personally, no matter how vague and generalized they may be. Thus, people tend to believe personality descriptions and future predictions derived from astrology. Named after P.T. Barnum of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, it was coined by Paul E. Meehl and further studied by U.S. psychologist Bertram Forer (1914-2000).
BARNUM EFFECT: “You further reinforce the Barnum Effect in you when you continue to rely on the zodiac and read your personal horoscope without fail.”