What is the "Barnum effect"? Why is it important to understand the Barnum effect when evaluating the validity of personality profiles? Describe three ways that a person can avoid being taken in by the Barnum effect
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• The Barnum effect occurs when people believe that a generic description was written just for them.
• The Barnum effect can make an unscientific personality profile seem valid because people perceive the profiles as being highly accurate.
• There are three guidelines to follow to avoid being taken in by unscientific personality profiles and horoscopes:
o Beware of all-purpose descriptions that could apply to anyone.
o Beware of your own selective perceptions.
o Resist flattery and emotional reasoning.
You might also like to view...
Which theory of aging would be most useful at explaining why muscle tissue and some arteries get stiffer over time, leading to potentially severe consequences?
a. free radical theory b. cross-linking theory c. programmed theory d. wear-and-tear theory
All of the cognitive-behavioral assessment procedures
a. are more direct than traditional psychological tests. b. can be collectively categorized as observational assessment. c. are based on learning principles. d. employ sophisticated hardware such as electronic beepers.
When we want to calculate the probability of the joint occurrence of two or more independent events, we invoke
a. the multiplicative rule. b. the additive rule. c. the sum of independent probabilities. d. Bernoulli's rule.
The key difference between the two main forms of schedules of reinforcement is whether
a. reinforcers are given or removed. b. reinforcement occurs often or rarely. c. the behaviors will increase or decrease in frequency. d. a person can control the consequences of the reinforcement. e. reinforcement is determined by time or by number of responses.