Barnum Effect

The Barnum effect, or Forer effect, describes how individuals accept vague, general personality descriptions as highly accurate for themselves. This cognitive bias explains why generic horoscopes resonate with so many, despite their lack of specific predictive power.

Numerous controlled experiments find no correlation between astrological predictions and actual life events or personality traits. Researchers attribute perceived accuracy to cognitive biases like the Barnum effect, not celestial influence.