<P> Forer attributed the Barnum effect to gullibility . The effect has been said to confirm the so - called "Pollyanna principle", which states that individuals tend "to use or accept positive words or feedback more frequently than negative words of feedback". </P> <P> Two factors are important in producing the Forer effect, according to the findings of replication studies . The content of the description offered is important, with specific emphasis on the ratio of positive to negative trait assessments . The other important factor is that the subject trusts the honesty of the person providing feedback . </P> <P> The effect is consistently found when the assessment statements are vague . People are able to read their own meaning into the statements they receive, and thus the statement becomes "personal" to them . The most effective statements include the phrase "at times", such as "At times you feel very sure of yourself, while at other times you are not as confident ." This phrase can apply to almost anyone, and thus each person can read a "personal" meaning into it . Keeping statements vague in this manner ensures observing the Forer effect in replication studies . </P> <P> In 2011, the study was repeated with the statements altered so that they applied to organizations rather than individuals . The results were similar, suggesting that people anthropomorphize organizations and are gullible when interpreting their characters . </P>

A generalization made about an individual or group that is not based on reality is called a