Consensus in personality judgments: Moderating effects of target-rater acquaintanceship and behavior observability.

Abstract

Conducted a peer rating study (N = 111) to determine the effects of (a) level of acquaintanceship between rater and target and (b) degree of public observability of rated personality traits on peers' perceptions of target personality characteristics. As hypothesized, I found the agreement between peer ratings and target self-ratings to vary linearly and directly with acquaintanceship. In addition, acquaintanceship interacted with observability such that the public visibility of the behavior domain being judged was an important determinant of agreement for low to moderately acquainted peer dyads but not for highly acquainted dyads. Contrary to expectations, however, trait observability did not show a main effect with regard to self-peer agreement. The basis of the study is described with reference to the lens model of inferential behavior, and implications of the results are discussed with reference to past and future attempts at evaluating consensus and accuracy in person perception. Person perception is a topic that persists as an area of research interest in psychology. This interest is maintained, in all likelihood, by an appreciation for the fact that observers' subjective evaluations of others play a large part in everyday social encounters. Observer judgments are also considered worthy of empirical study because they are often integral components of more formal interpersonal encounters, such as employment interviews and clinical psychodiagnostic assessments. It is, therefore, not surprising that much of the past research on person perception has dealt explicitly with the issue of accuracy. As a lay person, it is gratifying to think that one can be knowledgeable