8 checked facts

Personality

Everything on this site about personality — each one naming the study behind it.

You find personal meaning in descriptions written for everyone.
The Barnum effect is the psychological phenomenon where individuals believe that vague, generic personality descriptio…
Competence is more likeable when it is slightly flawed.
The pratfall effect is the tendency for a mistake to increase the attractiveness of an already highly competent person…
You accept generic personality descriptions as uniquely accurate.
In a 1949 study, students completed a personality test and were given a feedback report, which was identical for all p…
You adapt your behavior to fit what others expect.
A 1974 study found that high self-monitors consistently changed their behavior to match the social situation, whereas …
You accept vague personality descriptions as deeply personal.
Participants in a 1948 study rated a generic, personality-neutral paragraph as highly accurate when told it was writte…
You assume generic descriptions apply specifically to you.
The phenomenon is known as the Forer effect or the fallacy of personal validation, while the term 'Barnum effect' was …
Your past self is a stranger you judge harshly.
The end-of-history illusion is our tendency to believe we have reached our final personality despite significant growt…
You believe you have finally finished changing your personality.
In a 2013 study of 7,500 adults, participants consistently underestimated how much their personality, values, and pref…