Does the Barnum effect work with Eastern astrology?
Yes. Research by Rogers and Soule in 2009 in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology showed that the Barnum effect appears in both Westerners and Chinese people, with different levels of acceptance depending on the astrology source assigned. This mechanism does not depend on the specific astrological content, so it applies similarly to descriptions based on the zodiac animals or on the Five Elements destiny.
In his 1949 paper, Bertram Forer reports giving 39 students one identical personality sketch from an astrology book; the class still rated it accurate.
The Barnum effect appears in both Westerners and Chinese participants, with acceptance varying by which astrology source a description is attributed to.
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Why vague fortune-telling clips spread online: the Barnum effect, confirmation bias, the need for control, and algorithms that favour controversial content.
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