Cold reading is a set of techniques used by psychics, mediums, fortune-tellers, and stage mentalists to create the impression of detailed personal knowledge about someone they have just met, without any prior information about them. It is the most widely cited mainstream explanation for apparently accurate psychic readings, distinguished from hot reading, which does involve prior research into the subject.[1]
Origins of the term
The technique of cold reading long predates its name, with practices resembling it documented in stage mentalism acts going back to the 19th century. The term "cold reading" itself is often attributed to William Lindsay Gresham's 1953 book Monster Midway, an account of American carnival life.[1] The most influential systematic account of the technique came from psychologist Ray Hyman in 1977, who described cold reading as "a procedure by which a 'reader' is able to persuade a client whom he has never met before that he knows all about the client's personality and problems."[2]
Techniques
Researchers who have studied cold reading in detail note that it is not a single technique but a combination of several distinct strategies, often used together within a single reading.[2]
Barnum statements and the Forer effect
"Barnum statements," named after showman P. T. Barnum, are broad, open-ended statements that sound personal but apply to a very wide range of people — for example, referencing "a father figure" rather than specifically a father, or "a loved one going through a difficult time." Their effectiveness rests on the Forer effect (also called the Barnum effect), identified by psychologist Bertram Forer in 1949, describing the tendency for people to rate vague, generally applicable statements as highly specific to themselves.[3]
Shotgunning
"Shotgunning" involves presenting a large volume of general information in quick succession — for instance, listing several possible relatives or causes of death — and observing which specific item produces a visible reaction from the subject, then focusing further statements around that hit.[3]
Fishing
"Fishing" describes techniques for getting the subject to unknowingly supply information themselves, which the reader then feeds back to them as though it had been independently perceived. Hyman defined fishing as "a device for getting the subject to tell you about himself," noting that its key feature is that the client typically does not realise, or does not recall afterward, that they were the actual source of the detail.[1] Reading a subject's body language, tone of voice, and reactions to build rapport and encourage them to keep talking is a closely related supporting technique.[1]
Scientific basis
Empirical research on cold reading has focused particularly on the Barnum effect, finding that clients are especially susceptible to vague personality descriptions, tend to selectively forget statements that turn out to be inaccurate, and often unconsciously distort their own recollection of a reading to make it seem more personally relevant than it was at the time.[2] Researchers also note that clients are typically unaware of the fishing and feedback dynamics taking place during a reading, which is part of why cold reading can feel convincing even under close, honest scrutiny by the person being read.[2]
Relationship to other subjects on The Vault
Cold reading is the central sceptical explanation offered for the perceived accuracy of Mediumship readings generally, and features specifically in critical assessments of Tyler Henry and Derek Acorah. It is closely related to, but distinct from, the general psychological pattern described on the Divination page, and from hot reading, which achieves a similar effect through genuine prior research rather than in-session technique alone.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Cold Reading."Psi Encyclopedia.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "An overview of cold reading strategies."University of Northampton Research Explorer.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Cold Reader Tips: How Cold Reading Works."MasterClass.