Abstract
I decided to present the notion of Personal Validation Fallacy. This theory implies that we tend to easily agree with a general description of ourselves, even more if this description is positive and that we truly believe that it has been made specifically for us.
Extract
[...] The popular "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator" (or "MBTI") might be the perfect way to demonstrate the Personal Validation Fallacy. The MBTI has been created thanks to the theory of the psychiatrist Carl Jung, which explained that we experience our world by using four major functions, or categories, from which the mix of the four creates a "type" of personality. The MBTI is a test made in order to explain us in which type of personality we belong. At the end of the test2, we can read a deep and long analysis of our personality which often can be quite a surprise, as we believe that it is truly personal and, thus, accurate. [...]
[...] This well-structured article resumes well the Personal Validation Fallacy's theory, a theory which I had already experienced in my personal life, and that we could demonstrate once more with another concrete example. Indeed, I believe that this theory can be experienced quite easily. Everybody agrees that horoscope should not be taken too seriously, as their overall analysis are very general. Nevertheless, in support of the article under study's view, this is because we tend to believe that horoscopes are not completely based on scientific research. [...]
[...] In addition, we could make another experiment, such as the Forer's, where one person would make his friends take the MBTI test but would switch between them their analysis, and see if they believe what they are reading at the end of the test is accurate to their self-perception of themselves, but also of others. To conclude, the Personal Validation Fallacy's theory demonstrates how we are inclined to trust a general positive description if we believe this latter to be scientific and personal. And it is an interesting theory to keep in mind, as it could help us to understand how we perceive ourselves and how we can be manipulated by our own self-perception and generalisms. [...]
[...] Personal Validation Fallacy - ChangingMinds.org - Studying Notions in Social Psychology The Personal Validation Fallacy Theory I decided to present the notion of Personal Validation Fallacy. This theory implies that we tend to easily agree with a general description of ourselves, even more if this description is positive and that we truly believe that it has been made specifically for us. The article under study1 is explaining the notion of Personal Validation Fallacy. It is divided into four major parts in order to explain it thoroughly. [...]
