처음 만나는 사람에게 "평소에 남의 말을 잘 믿지 못하죠?" "가끔 대담할때도 있지만 한편으론 소심해 질 때도 있군요" 이런식의 뻔한 말에 대다수 사람들이 자신의 이야기라고 손뼉을 친다. 이런 심리학적 현상을 바넘 효과라고 한다.
바넘 효과는 아주 일반적이거나 모호한 성향을 자신의 것이라고 받아들이고 또한 아주 정확하다고 생각해 버리는 경향을 말한다. 대부분의 점쟁이, 의사(?), 변호사(?), 컨설턴트와 같은 말쟁이 들의 교양필수 과목이 바로 이 바넘효과 아닌가 싶다.
Barnum Effect : is a term that is used in psychology. It is the tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate. A good example of this can be seen when people believe what is said about them in psychometric tests, personality profiles, astrological predictions, and so on. This phenomenon is named after P. T. Barnum, who believed that a good circus had "a little something for everybody." Even though the descriptions or descriptive terms used in the inventories, typologies, and tests can apply equally well to other people, some individuals are gullible enough to believe they are unique to themselves. Of course, this is exactly what happens with the horoscope, palm reading, and crystal ball gazing (Referring to the comments of P.T. Barnum, 1810-1891, American showman, about public gullibility).
바넘 효과는 아주 일반적이거나 모호한 성향을 자신의 것이라고 받아들이고 또한 아주 정확하다고 생각해 버리는 경향을 말한다. 대부분의 점쟁이, 의사(?), 변호사(?), 컨설턴트와 같은 말쟁이 들의 교양필수 과목이 바로 이 바넘효과 아닌가 싶다.
Barnum Effect : is a term that is used in psychology. It is the tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate. A good example of this can be seen when people believe what is said about them in psychometric tests, personality profiles, astrological predictions, and so on. This phenomenon is named after P. T. Barnum, who believed that a good circus had "a little something for everybody." Even though the descriptions or descriptive terms used in the inventories, typologies, and tests can apply equally well to other people, some individuals are gullible enough to believe they are unique to themselves. Of course, this is exactly what happens with the horoscope, palm reading, and crystal ball gazing (Referring to the comments of P.T. Barnum, 1810-1891, American showman, about public gullibility).
