Professor's classroom Barnum-effect stunt: students rated fake handwriting analysis 8-10/10
dioscuri · x · 2026-10-07
A former ethics instructor recalls a 2015 classroom experiment: students submitted handwriting samples and each received a two-page "personality analysis." They privately rated its accuracy and specificity — typically 8s, 9s, and 10s out of 10, despite the analysis being generic Barnum-style text. A vivid demonstration of overconfidence and suggestibility in human reasoning, frequently cited in discussions about why people trust AI-generated personality assessments.
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