Paul Meehl has suggested that when clinicians mistakenly pay attention to vague,superficial,or stereotyped statements by clients,and fail to pay to attention to subtler but more important evidence,they are victims of the cognitive error he has labeled the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Barnum effect is the tendency for people to accept vague, general statements about themselves as accurate, even when they could apply to many people. This is exactly what Meehl is suggesting when he warns against clinicians focusing on superficial or stereotyped statements. In doing so, they may be accepting statements that are so general they could be true of almost anyone, rather than looking for more specific and meaningful evidence.

Paul Meehl Has Suggested That When Clinicians Mistakenly Pay Attention