The article examines the influence of the Barnum effect on personality perception and
psychological well-being. The Barnum effect refers to an individual's tendency to perceive vague and
generalized personality descriptions as highly accurate and personally relevant. The purpose of the study
is to provide a theoretical and empirical analysis of the impact of this phenomenon on self-perception,
self-concept, and psychological well-being. The sample consisted of 70 university students from
Kazakhstan aged 20–22 years. Carol Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale was used as the primary research instrument. The findings demonstrated relatively high levels of self-acceptance, personal
growth, autonomy, purpose in life, and environmental mastery among the participants. A significant
relationship was identified between self-perception characteristics and psychological well-being
indicators. The results suggest that the Barnum effect influences the interpretation of self-related
information and contributes to the formation of personal evaluations. The study highlights the
importance of developing critical thinking and reflective abilities to maintain and enhance psychological
well-being.
The influence of the Barnum effect on the perception and psychological well-being of the individual: The influence of the Barnum effect on the perception and psychological well-being of the individual
Published June 2026
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Abstract
Language
Қазақ
Keywords
personality perception
Barnum effect
psychological well-being
self-perception
self-concept
personal growth
university students
How to Cite
[1]
Омашева, Т. and Мандыкаева , А. 2026. The influence of the Barnum effect on the perception and psychological well-being of the individual: The influence of the Barnum effect on the perception and psychological well-being of the individual . Bulletin of Abai KazNPU. Series of Psychology. 87, 2 (Jun. 2026), 44–52. DOI:https://doi.org/10.51889/2959-5967.2026.87.2.004.