Tiktakers, how are you?
Today we want to ask you a question, do you usually check your horoscope?
Do you think it can ever be right with its predictions?
If the answer is yes, you are part of a very large group of people who often feel identified
with the things they read in it.
But did you know that this has a scientific explanation?
In this new video we want to talk to you about the Forer or Barnum Effect.
It consists in believing that a specific description fits exactly to our own person when in fact
it is a generic explanation with which many people could feel identified in different
situations.
Some describe it as: a little something for everyone.
Because if the phrases are well formulated, they will make many people see themselves
reflected in them.
This is what happens with the horoscope, which is why we asked you that question at the beginning
of the video.
And this affects even the most skeptical, titktakers.
It is clear that, depending on our personality, it will influence us to a greater or lesser
extent, but we are all under its effect.
And that is precisely what Phineas Taylor Barnum, who was born in 1810 in the United
States, discovered.
He was a circus entrepreneur who became famous for being a good publicist.
In his circus everyone found something they liked, so everyone was attracted to him.
Although he already knew how to do it, the Barnum thermal effect was created in the 1950s
by Paul Meehl.
He conducted several investigations in which he discovered that several expressions from
psychiatric and psychological reports from a clinic could be associated with almost any
patient.
They were very generic phrases and were often repeated.
Later the term also became associated with reports from astrologers, graphologists or
other professionals.
But if anyone really made it known it was the psychology professor Bertram Forer.
It was his work in the late 1940s that really expanded knowledge about this effect.
He created a test that was supposedly tailored to each student.
Or so the students believed.
However, they all had exactly the same conclusions, they were very generic statements that almost
anyone could identify with.
On a scale of 1 to 5 87% of the students believed that their personality assessments were completely
accurate.
And this is because of the way he worded his conclusions.
He included generic answers, without much specificity.
When we want to reinforce the effect we often use phrases like, "You are self-confident
but sometimes you feel afraid, or sometimes you doubt..."
Situations or feelings that we have all gone through.
And it is that our mind has much to do in the success of this effect.
For one thing, since time immemorial we have felt the need to find out what the future
holds.
They did it in the past with the Oracle of Delphi, later with the tea leaves or the pythonesses,
now with the horoscope ... We are curious by nature.
And we also try to feel part of a group, so believing that all Scorpios this year will
do well in love is also comforting tiktakers.
On the other hand, we also tend to believe in things that we have already thought of
previously.
That is, we look everywhere for issues that reaffirm our own thoughts.
And this the Barnum effect gives us.
In addition to the fact that in most cases, we speak positively, and we all like to be
told good things.
As you can see, there are several factors that influence the success of this effect,
and it is very difficult to escape from it.
Therefore, the only way out is to have a critical mind, both with ourselves and with what other
people say.
Only in this way we will know if we are being deceived or not tiktakers.
So, practice it and tell us about your discoveries.
We'll read you in the comments, see you next time!