apophenia

American  

[ap-uh-fe-nee-uh, ap-uh-fee-nee-uh] / ˌæp əˈfɛ ni ə, ˌæp əˈfi ni ə /

noun

1. Psychology. the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns or connections where there are none.

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Example Sentences

The believability of a false narrative is reinforced by what psychologists call apophenia, defined as the proclivity to perceive meaningful connections among unrelated things.

From Salon

More importantly, I learned how easy it is to fool yourself into perceiving a pattern where none exists — a phenomenon called apophenia, "the condition of seeing or imagining patterns in random occurrences."

From Salon

In many games, like the ones I work on, apophenia is a wild card that can lead participants away from the plot and force designers to scramble to get them back.

From Washington Post

QAnon is a mirror reflection of this dynamic: Apophenia is the point.

From Washington Post

Not so for the imaginary puzzles created by apophenia: There doesn’t need to be anything to solve.

From Washington Post