get comfortable, restorative sleep?”
Why These Personality Tests Feel So Accurate
There’s a psychological reason these descriptions can seem surprisingly convincing.
Many personality statements are broad enough that a large number of people can recognize themselves in them.
For example, descriptions such as “you may be reserved at first but become friendly once you trust someone” can apply to countless people.
This is sometimes connected to the Barnum effect—the tendency to perceive general personality descriptions as highly specific to ourselves.
That’s one reason online personality quizzes can feel uncannily
