somannamm
Hi Sujata. I dont think its an ideal aspect of recruitment . Its better hiring a person on behavioural test basis than Horoscope .

sujata1jan
3

Dear Col. Sanjiv Bhutani & somannamm
Thanks for your inputs. Yes it is true we should not select on the basis of horoscope but as I have heard there are few company which are hriing on the basis of horoscope.
Regards
Sujata

From India, Faridabad
JSF35
35

HOROSCOPES: FACT, FICTION, OR FUN?

A group of students conducted an experiment to test the accuracy of horoscopes. Here's what they found.

"I read my horoscope all the time," said Casey Perkins, an 18-year-old student at DeSoto (Texas) High School. So when she heard that her science teacher, Karen Sam field, was looking for students to help research the accuracy of astrological forecasts, Casey jumped at the chance. "I thought it would be fun to see how accurate they would be," she said.

Samfield and 64 of her students-including Casey--joined forces with an editor from Jr. Skeptic magazine. The students examined newspaper horoscopes every day for two weeks to see whether the predictions made by the horoscopes matched the experiences the students actually had.

Scientists have maintained for years that horoscope predictions are no more accurate than pure guesswork. Would the students' observations support that position? And if so, what would their results say about astrology?

SCIENCE OR SUPERSITION?

Astrology is a set of ancient beliefs about how events on Earth are related to the positions and movements of the sun, planets, and stars. For instance, astrologers say they can predict a person's future from the position of the sun, moon, and stars at the exact moment of the person's birth. A horoscope is a diagram of that position.

Scientists say predictions made from horoscopes are statements so vague they fit just about anyone at any time. Ivan Kelly, a psychologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, said that a horoscope might say that a person has great intelligence or is highly creative. Yet just about everyone, he said, thinks of himself or herself as being intelligent and creative. Said Kelly: "Have you ever met anybody who describes himself as stupider than usual or less creative than average?"

SCIENCE, STEP-BY-STEP

The DeSoto students started their research by collecting data--information obtained during an investigation. Each day, their teacher showed them 12 horoscope readings from a newspaper, one for each astrological sign: Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Taurus, and Virgo. All references to the signs were removed from the readings, and a number was assigned instead to each reading.

The students examined all of the readings from the previous day and decided which one fit the events that had occurred in their own lives. When a reading seemed to fit, students considered it a "hit." If it didn't, it was a "miss."

The students didn't know which horoscope reading corresponded to their own sign, and their teacher didn't know which numbers were assigned to which signs. Scientists call this a double-blind studs: meaning that neither the study's participants nor the person conducting the study are aware of the basic details of the study. Many new drags are tested in double-blind experiments. Both doctors and patients in the studies are unaware of which pills are real and which are simply sugar pills.

Why are studies made doubleblind? To remove bias, a personal preference that can unknowingly influence a decision. For instance, if the DeSoto students had known that Horoscope 4 was the Aries reading, kids whose sign was Aries might have been biased toward selecting that particular reading. If the teacher had known which readings matched which signs, she might have communicated such information unconsciously to the students. Scientists say removing bias when collecting data allows more accurate conclusions to be made about the results.

After two weeks, Gilmore compiled all the data gathered by the students. In evaluating the data, Gilmore took into consideration the number of people participating in the study, a number scientists call the sample size. Some studies involve thousands of participants; others involve just a few.

SAMPLE SIZE MATTERS

According to Professor Kelly, the number of participants who should be involved in a study depends in part on how powerful the phenomenon being studied is. For example, horoscopes are supposed to be extremely accurate predictors of the day's events. So even a fairly small sample size, said Dr. Kelly, should be enough to determine whether horoscopes are accurate.

Other studies, such as those examining drugs designed to prevent cancer, require large sample sizes, perhaps hundreds or thousands of participants.

How did the sample size of the DeSoto study stack up? "The more students you have, the better" Kelly said. "But 64 isn't bad. Actually, their study was a pretty good exercise in critical thinking."

The students' critical-thinking exercise came up with 21 hits out of 246 tries, or about 1 hit for every 12 tries. That's about what the students would have come up with purely by chance. The results fit those of dozens of other studies conducted on horoscopes, supporting the conclusion that horoscopes are inaccurate--or, in plain words, a lot of flapdoodle.

What did Casey think of the results? Horoscopes, she said, "aren't as accurate as I thought. They're fun, but it's not good to take them too far."

By A. T. McPhee

JSF


From India, Bangalore
Dr. Jogeshwar mahanta
174

We all know that Astronomy is a science but astrology is 100%hoax. But I am amazed to see that HR personnel are busy in finding sense in horoscope. regards
From India, Delhi
sujata1jan
3

Dear Dr. Jogeshwar Ji I would not say that I agree 100% on that but yes there is no use of astrology in Job. Regards Sujata
From India, Faridabad
S.A. JADHAV
Hi All,
I think, if Companies start hiring on the basis of Horoscope, the Companies will first recruite HR Managers having knowledge of Astrology and may demand Astrology as added qualification. Also the HR Institutes may add Astrology as one of the subjects in HR syllabus. A person having knowlege in Astrology in interview panel will have upper hand in selection.
Sanjay

From India, Ghansoli
Dr. Jogeshwar mahanta
174

Here is an extremely opposite view to that of mine.
We know that sage Bhrigu, great grand father of Parasuram, was in Satya Yug. He was the great authority in astrology.But till date I do not think that any such reputed University of the world has opened any astrology department so far. In India, during BJP government the HR minister was very keen to do so but it failed due to resistance from the scientific community.
So Sanjay ji! Please furnish information as to which are the top Universities that are teaching astrology.
regards

From India, Delhi
sumi71
4

Hi Col Sanjiv,
I totally agree with your points. Horoscope selection is waste of time and not at all safe to follow. If anybody selecting the candidates only based on Horoscope without any skills is going to workout wrong and end up in losses.
Regards,
Umesh

From India, Bangalore
alokgoel
2

Hi Sujata
Please accept my best wishes for a Happy new Year to all cite-hr family members via this thread.
well, I m sure that the scenario emerge by including the horoscope for rectt. etc. in work place will be full of discrimination, corruption and manipulation and in some of the areas India is already on the backfoot due to these disease.
So keeping in view the envisaged impact of horoscope factor it should be discouraged incase it is considered in any sphere of the business.
with best regards
alok goel

From India, Bharat
Samaira
2

Horoscopes, zodiacs and astrology-the origin dates back to the early 17th Century AD!!!

The ‘science’ of Astrology has been famous since ages.

The point to ponder is:

Hypothetically speaking, if companies start recruiting on the basis of Astrology, which branch of Astrology should one believe in?

Are zodiacs true?

Or do horoscopes give a more accurate picture about ‘the right person for the right job’?

Since we’re Indians, should we believe only in ‘Jyotishi’or combine the studies of Western Astrology and Chinese traditions too, which are quite different from each other?

For if we don’t, then what should we do in case of Non Indian candidates and positions overseas???

And…which astrologer do we,as employers, believe in? For we can believe in the art of Astrology, which has its roots in Indian History too (read about Bhrigu in one of the earlier posts) but can we equally believe in the astrologers of today?

Phew!!!am I thankful Jobs based on Horoscopes are not the next 'in' thing in the Corporate World!

From India
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