8/12/2019 Astrology 19

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Effectiveness

Astrology has not demonstrated its effectiveness in controlled studies and has no scientificvalidity.[3]:85[8] Where it has made falsifiable predictions under controlled conditions they havebeen falsified.[8]:!"! #ne famous e$periment included "8 astrologers %ho %ere as&ed to matchover a hundred natal charts to psychological profiles generated by the 'alifornia (sychological)nventory *'()+ ,uestionnaire.[--5][-- ] /he double0blind e$perimental protocol used in this study%as agreed upon by a group of physicists and a group of astrologers[8] nominated by the1ational 'ouncil for 2eocosmic esearch %ho advised the e$perimenters helped ensure thatthe test %as fair[-- ]:--4[--4]:!" and helped dra% the central proposition of natal astrology tobe tested.[--4]:!-6 /hey also chose " out of the "8 eight astrologers for the tests *t%o morevolunteered after%ards+.[--4]:!" /he study published in 1ature in -685 found that predictionsbased on natal astrology %ere no better than chance and that the testing 7clearly refutes theastrological hypothesis7.[--4]

)n -655 astrologer and psychologist ichel 2au,uelin stated that although he had failed to findevidence to support such indicators as the 9odiacal signs and planetary aspects in astrology hehad found positive correlations bet%een the diurnal positions of some of the planets and successin some professions %hich astrology traditionally associates %ith those planets.[--8][--6] /hebest0&no%n of 2au,uelin s findings is based on the positions of ars in the natal charts ofsuccessful athletes and became &no%n as the 7 ars effect7.[-" ]:"-3 A study conducted byseven ;rench scientists attempted to replicate the claim but found no statistical evidence.[-" ]:"-3elly conducted a large scalescientific test involving more than one hundred cognitive behavioural physical and othervariables but found no support for astrology.[-""][-"3] ;urthermore a meta0analysis %asconducted pooling ! studies consisting of 4 astrologers and over - birth charts. /en of thetests %hich had a total of 3 participating involved the astrologers pic&ing the correct chartinterpretation out of a number of others %hich %ere not the astrologically correct chartinterpretation *usually 3 to 5 others+. When the date and other obvious clues %ere removed nosignificant results %ere found to suggest there %as any preferred chart.[-"3]:-6