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Inventory responding models people's acceptance of feedback 'derived' from tests and from interviews
1University of Southern Mississippi, USA.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|June 1, 1980
Summary
This study found that people rationally accept personality feedback, similar to how they respond to Barnum statements. The favorability of the feedback significantly influenced acceptance, not the type of prior assessment used.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- The Barnum Effect describes the tendency for individuals to accept vague personality descriptions as accurate.
- Layne and Michels proposed that responding to personality inventories mirrors acceptance of Barnum feedback.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether responding to personality inventories accurately models the Barnum Effect.
- To examine the influence of assessment type and descriptor favorability on the acceptance of personality feedback.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-four undergraduates underwent one of four assessment procedures: Rorschach, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Structured Interview, or Unstructured Interview.
- Participants rated their perception of the assessment and later rated identical personality descriptors presented as "feedback" or a "test".
Main Results:
- Layne and Michels' model was supported, showing inventory responding parallels acceptance of Barnum feedback.
- Descriptor favorability significantly increased acceptance of both feedback and inventory items.
- The type of prior assessment did not significantly affect acceptance behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Inventory responding accurately models the Barnum Effect.
- Individuals accept personality feedback rationally, influenced by favorability rather than gullibility.
- Student perceptions of assessment aligned with the characteristics of each assessment type.
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