Meanings
nounBarnum effect (plural Barnum effects)
plural Barnum effects
- The tendency of individuals to give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people.
Synonyms: Forer effect
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe tendency of individuals to give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people.
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Also see
Origin
Named after American showman Phineas Taylor Barnum.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Barnum effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barnum%20effect
MLA
“Barnum effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barnum%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Barnum effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barnum%20effect.
Source: Barnum effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.