Editing Cold reading (section)

{{short description|Set of techniques used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, and mediums}}
{{About|the communication technique|the theatrical training technique|Cold reading (theatrical)|the Stone Sour song "Cold Reader"|Stone Sour (album)}}

{{Paranormal |state=collapsed}}

'''Cold reading''' is a set of techniques used by [[Mentalism|mentalists]], [[psychic]]s, [[Fortune-telling|fortune-tellers]], and [[mediumship|mediums]].<ref name="Dutton1988">{{cite journal | last = Dutton | first = Denis | author-link = Denis Dutton | year = 1988 | title = The cold reading technique | journal = Experientia | volume = 44 | issue = 4 | pages = 326–32 | url = http://www.denisdutton.com/cold_reading.htm | access-date = June 30, 2009 | doi = 10.1007/BF01961271 | pmid = 3360083 | s2cid = 2382430 | archive-date = January 14, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200114055246/http://www.denisdutton.com/cold_reading.htm | url-status = dead | url-access = subscription }}</ref> Without prior knowledge, a practiced cold-reader can quickly obtain a great deal of information by analyzing the person's [[body language]], [[Ageing|age]], [[clothing]] or [[fashion]], [[hairstyle]], [[gender]], [[sexual orientation]], [[religion]], [[ethnicity]], level of [[education]],  [[Idiolect|manner of speech]], place of origin, etc. during a line of questioning. Cold readings commonly employ high-probability guesses, quickly picking up on signals as to whether their guesses are in the right direction or not. The reader then emphasizes and reinforces any accurate connections while quickly moving on from missed guesses. Psychologists believe that this appears to work because of the [[Forer effect|Barnum effect]] and due to [[confirmation bias]]es within people.<ref>Forer, BR (1949) [http://apsychoserver.psych.arizona.edu/JJBAReprints/PSYC621/Forer_The%20fallacy%20of%20personal%20validation_1949.pdf "The fallacy of personal validation: A classroom demonstration of gullibility"]. ''Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology''. 44, 118–23</ref>