Possible Barnum Effect in the Five Factor Model: Do Respondents Accept Random Neo Personality Inventory–Revised Scores as Their Actual Trait Profile?

Abstract

This study investigated a possible Barnum effect in personality traits, i.e., that persons accept a false trait profile as correct. Having answered the Norwegian translation of the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised, a group of 75 students, 56 (five women) military aviation cadets and 19 (10 women) graduate students, received a random T-score profile and were asked to rate their agreement on a 7-point scale. For all personality traits, i.e., facets and domains measured by the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised, positive correlations ranging from .08 to .64 were found between the agreement ratings and the similarity between the random false scores and the actual scores. The respondents identified and rejected random T scores that deviated far from their actual scores, which works against the Barnum effect. Correct identification correlated negatively with Neuroticism (r = −.41) and positively (r = .53) with Conscientiousness.