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Do you believe in astrology and the horoscope that comes from it? If so, this study may disappoint you: in fact, according to Australian scientists, there is no significant evidence linking zodiac signs to happiness, health or satisfaction, whether financial or marital.
On the radio, on the internet or in their favorite magazine: some people scrutinize or listen attentively to information devoted to the horoscope, hoping to know their future in terms of love, money, health or work, for the day , week or month.
Indeed, astrology (from which the horoscope derives) is a belief which links the positions of the planets at the time of birth, a “science” which would influence personality traits and life events. But should we believe it?
Examining Zodiac Signs and Subjective Well-Being
For this study, Mohsen Joshanloo, professor of psychology attached to Keimyung University and the Center for Wellbeing Science at the University of Melbourne in Australia, was interested in astrology, a popular belief but criticized by scientists.
To do this, he used data from 12,791 participants in the last four sessions of the General Social Survey, a large national survey representative of American adults. Conducted periodically since 1972, it collects extensive information on a wide range of topics, including the attitudes, behaviors, and opinions of U.S. residents.
Among the 12,791 volunteers, we find a majority of women, with an average age of 50. The researcher then analyzed eight key variables, based on each person’s zodiac signs, taken from self-reported birth dates. These eight variables linked to well-being are:
For seven of the eight variables, astrology has no effect
By studying the impact of astrology on these variables, Professor Joshanloo noticed that it had no effect on seven of them. The only exception was financial dissatisfaction, but this effect was considered negligible.
To support his results, the scientist created a random variable and compared its predictive power to that of the signs of the zodiac, for the same variables. “The results showed no significant difference between the predictive abilities of the zodiac signs and the random variable. This strongly suggests that zodiac signs do not significantly predict well-being, and any observed effects were likely due to chance.” explains the researcher.
“These findings highlight the urgent need to increase public awareness of the lack of scientific evidence supporting astrological beliefs through robust education initiatives.” concludes Professor Joshanloo.
Slide: Which tattoo according to my astrological sign?