The Truth About Star Signs and Your Personality

THE TRUTH ABOUT Star Signs and Your Personality

Star signs also known as sun signs, astrological signs and birth signs represent 12 different segments of the zodiac (the zodiac is a ring of constellations that the sun follows over a year). These signs, according to astrology, are believed to characterise 12 personality types or forms of expression. According to one's birth date, and the star sign they possess, certain and specific characteristics are believed to make up their personality ( Chico & Lorenzo-Seva, 2006). Lack of research and the inability to prove these claims have left many cynical and negative towards the subject. However there are also many who firmly believe and follow their horoscopes on a daily basis. Most research that has been conducted suggests that there is no correlation between a person's star sign and his or her personality and that this form of astrology is merely pseudoscience (Thagard, 1978). In considering the effect of star signs on personality, it is useful to consider investigations that have been conducted as well as issues that act to affect the investigations themselves.

The association between star signs and their affect on personality has not been proven scientifically. Hume and Goldstein's (1977) study of 196 college students investigates the hypothesis that personality can be predicted on the basis of an individual's astrological chart. In the study, two separate, renowned personality tests were administered and the hypothesis could not be supported as the results showed the participants couldn't accurately identify their astrological personality at a greater than chance level. Supporters of astrology may contest the legitimacy of such experiments as a result of disagreement with the personality testing measures. The techniques used however were reputable and widely recognised in multiple scientific fields and their concerns thus do not seem especially warranted (Hume & Goldstein, 1977).

A similar study by Wymen and Vyse (2008) explores the affect of horoscopes on peoples' personalities and indicates how investigation is made difficult by the Barnum Effect, a concept which refers to peoples' inclination to allow their personalities to be summed up using indistinct, unclear and broad descriptions. Whilst under investigation, the Barnum Effect may cause people to either consciously or unconsciously respond to researchers' questions in a biased manner and therefore negatively affect the validity of the investigation. This effect poses great problems to researchers who attempt to obtain unbiased findings. In the case of an investigation into the effects of star signs on a person's personality the Barnum Effect can have significant consequences as it increases ambiguity and undermines the attainment of empirical data.

Another element of human behaviour that acts to render analysis of horoscopes' effects especially challenging is the fact