LOS ANGELES, June 1 ― Astrology has long played a major role in many cultures, whether it's a question of assessing personality, contemplating a romantic relationship or, more generally, knowing one's destiny. But can a zodiac sign have an impact on well-being? A researcher based in South Korea has been working on the subject, and his findings may dampen the enthusiasm of astrology buffs.
There are some people who try to avoid becoming friends with a Gemini for the sole reason that astrologists often attribute a dual personality attributed to this sign. Others will run the other way upon encountering an Aries, who have an astrological reputation as being temperamental and impulsive. And what can we say about Scorpios, described by this practice as being both proud and distrustful, and maybe even resentful? Many people around the world look to astrology for advice or understanding about their relationships with friends and/or lovers, their professional careers, their personal development, and sometimes even to try and win the lottery. And interest in the practice has grown considerably since the pandemic, particularly among the younger generations.
On social media, astrology-related publications number well into the millions. The hashtags #astrology and #astrologia have so far generated 15.8 million and 5.5 million posts on Instagram, while the hashtag #astrology has accumulated over 78 billion views on TikTok. The phenomenon has become so widespread that it has led to the emergence of surprising trends such as planning the astrological sign of their offspring, scrutinizing every personality trait of a favorite fictional character to see if they're well aligned with your own zodiac sign, and including astrological specifications in one's search criteria for finding love online. New personal development practices are also emerging, such as astro-coaching, which combines astrology and psychology.
This passion for the practice raises questions about the association between zodiac signs and well-being. Which is the focus of a new study by South Korea-based researcher Mohsen Joshanloo, published in the scientific journal Kyklos. Specifically, he evaluated the potential association between Western astrological signs and well-being in a sample of 12,791 participants, representative of the adult American population, drawn from the General Social Survey. As part of this work, well-being was measured through eight factors, namely general unhappiness, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, work dissatisfaction, financial dissatisfaction, perceived dullness of one's life, self-rated health, and unhappiness with marriage.
As reliable as randomly generated numbers
So what's the verdict? The analyses carried out, taking into account obviously the participants' zodiac signs, calculated from their declared dates of birth, show “no robust associations” between astrological signs and any of the “well-being variables.” This was true whether or not demographic factors were taken into account. To confirm these results, the researcher conducted an additional analysis, creating a random variable and comparing its influence with that of astrological signs for the same factors linked to well-being. “These findings challenge popular astrological claims about the influence of zodiac signs on well-being and quality of life,” the study states.
“These findings underscore the urgent need to increase public awareness of the lack of scientific evidence supporting astrological beliefs through robust public education initiatives. Such initiatives can play a pivotal role in promoting scientific literacy and critical thinking skills, equipping individuals with the rational tools to make informed decisions and challenge pseudoscientific beliefs that lack empirical support,” reads the researcher's conclusion, as reported by the website PsyPost. ― ETX Studio
