Barnum Effect

Named after showman P.T. Barnum (often credited with "there's a sucker born every minute"). Psychologist Bertram Forer demonstrated the effect in a 1949 experiment: he gave students a "personalized" personality analysis that was actually the same generic text for everyone. Students rated its accuracy 4.26 out of 5. The effect helps explain the enduring appeal of astrology, fortune telling, and pop psychology quizzes.