[Namaste]

No problem..it's like mythbusters

[Mr_Glass.1]

Up next-is there life not on this world.   

[AIR NOMAD]

*Cue Creepy Alien Music*

[Namaste]

In the course of my daily life I happened to come accross an interesting psychological effect named after the great PT Barnum which applies specifically to this experiement. Here's a copy of a synopsis of it I found:

Barnum Effect : is a term that is used in psychology.  It is the tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate.  A good example of this can be seen when people believe what is said about them in psychometric tests, personality profiles, astrological predictions, and so on. This phenomenon is named after P. T. Barnum, who believed that a good circus had "a little something for everybody." Even though the descriptions or descriptive terms used in the inventories, typologies, and tests can apply equally well to other people, some individuals are gullible enough to believe they are unique to themselves. Of course, this is exactly what happens with the horoscope, palm reading, and crystal ball gazing (Referring to the comments of P.T. Barnum, 1810-1891, American showman, about public gullibility).
http://www.paranormality.com/barnum_effect.shtml

[Rohan]

When you two ran those five names and NAMASTE posted the results, are they wrong? Did Namaste figured it out that website is a trick like a magician's hand? If so, how? I want to to know it. I think its interesting.

[Namaste]

Yes, the website is a trick which uses the barnum effect. you can go back and read over the previous posts in this thread to get a better idea of the experiment and the results.

[Rohan]

Now it makes sense. I got it. They are tricky.

[Mr_Glass.1]

Yeah, it's quite confusing.
Hey Namaste, that stuff on the Barnum effect, that's pretty cool.

[Namaste]

Btw, there is a section on the Barnum Effect in that skeptics dictionary (the link to which i posted in the paranormal thread).

[mamasan]

I'm a long-time believer in the Barnum effect. Thanks for posting the info, Namaste.