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Definition: David Marks uses the term "subjective validation" to refer to what happens when a person perceives two independent events to have some sort of deeper, hidden relationship because of that person's prior beliefs, expectations or hypotheses about the world. According to the premises from which this person interprets the world, such a relationship must necessarily exist and, so, the person will find a way to explain the data in terms of the assumed relationship.
This subjective validation is generally at the heart of people's reports of the experience of paranormal phenomena. For example, when it comes to readings by astrologers or psychics, a person will quickly focus on and remember the "hits" or accurate statements, but forget and ignore the "misses," or inaccurate statements.
Subjective validation is also what causes people to become overconfident about their prejudices and pet ideas. Their desire for their idea to be true is so strong that they quite readily focus upon any data which supports them while ignoring problematic data which would tend to disprove them. Essentially, we talk ourselves into believing that we are right even when the evidence at hand should convince us that we are wrong. It could be said that we "know" better, but our desires are so strong that they override our better sense.
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