A questionnaire survey indicated that paranormal belief among 60 college students is positively correlated with over-all levels of belief in a variety of everyday statements ( r = .56), whereas the Barnum effect shows no such indication of a general gullibility factor. Also, the Barnum effect is not associated with paranormal belief.

Subjects (N = 64) were shown a list of 66 personality traits, and indicated whether or not they possessed each one. Three weeks later, they were shown their trait list, another subject's trait list, a computerized personality profile derived from their traits, or a profile derived from another subject's traits. In each case they rated how well their personality was described by the trait list or profile, on three seven point scales. It was found that the spurious personality descriptions (both traits and profiles) were rated as highly for accuracy as were the genuine descriptions. Interpretive personality profiles were rated no higher than simple lists of trait names. It is argued that these results should be attributed to general gullibility rather than, e.g., the impressiveness of psychological tests.