Why Personality Quizzes Feel So Accurate
A 1940s classroom experiment explains why a quiz result can feel like it was written just for you, and why that's still fun.
You answer ten questions, the quiz tells you you're a "creative soul who values deep connections but needs time alone to recharge," and you think: that's exactly me. Why do personality quiz results feel so personal?
The Forer experiment
In 1948, psychologist Bertram Forer gave his students a personality test, then handed each of them what he said was their personal result. He asked them to rate how well it described them, on a scale from 0 to 5. The average rating was about 4.3.
The twist: every student got exactly the same description. Forer had put it together from statements in an astrology book, such as "You have a great need for other people to like and admire you" and "At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, reserved."
This is now called the Forer effect, or the Barnum effect, after the showman P. T. Barnum, who was said to offer "a little something for everyone." Statements that are flattering, a little vague and true of most people feel uniquely accurate, especially when we believe they were written for us.
Why we still love them
Knowing about the Barnum effect doesn't make quizzes pointless. A good quiz is a prompt to think about yourself: what you enjoy, how you react under pressure, what you want from the people around you. Sharing results is also a way to start a conversation. "I got Paris, what did you get?" is a fun way to compare notes with friends.
Fun quizzes vs. scientific tests
Psychologists who study personality mostly use the "Big Five" model, which measures five traits on a scale: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Scientific tests are checked carefully to make sure they give similar results each time and actually predict things about people's lives. Fun quizzes aren't built that way, so it's best to enjoy them for what they are.
Ready to see it in action? Try which city matches your personality or find out whether you're an introvert or an extrovert.