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Entropy
Lv 7
Entropy asked in Social SciencePsychology · 4 months ago

What is it called when people believe vague predictions like Nostradamus?

You know how Nostradamus produced vague predictions in his works and then people started mentally backfilling life events to match them "like, oh this must be predicting Napoleon" and such when the actual prediction didn't say any such thing?

Long ago, I heard a psychology term for that.  I can't recall it, and my Google-fu has failed me.  anyone know?  

Not the Barnum effect I don't think.  Partly because that didn't trigger my memory, but also because evidently that relates to personality descriptions by fortune tellers.

3 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    4 months ago

    That comes under the heading of none of your business.

  • THE BANNIBAL ONE
    Lv 7
    4 months ago

    I guess it is called looking for something that isn't there.

    Just take guesses.

  • Kenny
    Lv 7
    4 months ago

     Perceived Validity  Is that it ?

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