The Forer Effect

The Forer Effect, also known as the Barnum Effect, describes the tendency for people to accept vague or general statements as highly accurate for them personally. When people read vague personality descriptions—like those in horoscopes or fortune cookies—they often believe these descriptions are specifically tailored to them, because the statements are broad enough to apply to many individuals. This phenomenon occurs because individuals seek personalized validation and tend to interpret ambiguous information in a way that fits their own self-image. Understanding this effect explains why such general descriptions can feel surprisingly accurate to many people.