{{Short description|Perception people have of each other's personalities}}{{multiple issues|{{primary sources|date=December 2012}}{{Copy edit|for=style, tone and addition of WP:LINKs|date=December 2025}} }} '''Personality judgment''' (or '''personality judgement''' in UK) is the process by which people perceive each other's personalities through acquisition of certain information about others, or meeting others in person. The purpose of studying personality judgment is to understand past behavior exhibited by individuals and predict future behavior. Theories concerning personality judgment focus on the accuracy of personality judgments and the effects of personality judgments on various aspects of social interactions.<ref name="Funder1995">{{cite journal|last1=Funder|first1=David C.|year=1995|title=On the accuracy of personality judgment: A realistic approach.|journal=Psychological Review|volume=102|issue=4|pages=652–670|doi=10.1037/0033-295X.102.4.652|issn=0033-295X|pmid=7480467|citeseerx=10.1.1.321.2328}}</ref> Determining how people judge personality is important because personality judgments often influence individuals' behaviors.<ref name="SnyderKlein2005">{{cite journal|last1=Snyder|first1=Mark|last2=Klein|first2=Olivier|title=Construing and constructing others: On the reality and the generality of the behavioral confirmation scenario|journal=Interaction Studies|volume=6|issue=1|year=2005|pages=53–67|issn=1572-0373|doi=10.1075/is.6.1.05sny|url=https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/dspace/bitstream/2013/31318/1/ok-0029.doc|hdl=2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/31318|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

==Accuracy== {{Prose|date=December 2025|section}}

===Perspectives on accuracy===

Research on the accuracy of personality judgments varies based on three major perspectives on the basis of accurate personality judgment.<ref name="FunderWest">{{cite journal | last1 = Funder | first1 = D. C. | last2 = West | first2 = S. G. | year = 1993 | title = Consensus, self-other agreement, and accuracy in personality judgment: An introduction | journal = Journal of Personality | volume = 61 | issue = 4| pages = 457–476 | doi = 10.1111/j.1467-6494.1993.tb00778.x | pmid = 8151499 }}</ref> These perspectives vary based on the criteria used to determine accuracy.<ref name="FunderWest"/> *Pragmatism: The pragmatic perspective on accuracy suggests that people will only perceive aspects of personality that they can use when interacting with others.<ref name="FunderWest"/> The personality judgments are deemed accurate when they are useful in future interactions.<ref name="FunderWest"/> *Constructivism: The constructivist perspective on accuracy suggests that there is no objective, accurate measure of personality judgment.<ref name="FunderWest"/> People may make differing personality judgments of the same person based on their unique perspectives of the judged person.<ref name="FunderWest"/> According to constructivists, each judgment is equally correct. Thus, rather than focusing on accuracy of judgments, these researchers focus on the different methods and perspectives through which people make personality judgments.<ref name="FunderWest"/> *Realism: The realistic perspective on personality judgment assumes that there is an objective reality in personality that can be measured empirically.<ref name="FunderWest"/> Realists believe that personality judgments may be verified for accuracy by determining whether the judgments predict the target individual's behaviors.<ref name="FunderWest"/> Accuracy may also be verified by agreement of personality judgments among several independent judges.<ref name="FunderWest"/>

===Contributors to accurate personality judgment=== A variety of variables contribute to the accuracy or inaccuracy of personality judgment in systematic ways. These variables include characteristics of the individual whose personality is being judged as well as characteristics of the individual who is judging personality.<ref>Funder, D.C. (2010). The personality puzzle. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.</ref>

====Judge characteristics==== Characteristics of the individual judging personality that contribute to accuracy include the following: *Gender and ethnic similarity to target<ref name="Letzring">{{cite journal | last1 = Letzring | first1 = T. D. | year = 2010 | title = The effects of judge-target gender and ethnicity similarity on the accuracy of personality judgments | journal = Social Psychology | volume = 41 | issue = 1| pages = 42–51 | doi = 10.1027/1864-9335/a000007 }}</ref> **A person is more likely to make an accurate personality judgment when the individual they are judging has the same gender and ethnicity as the judge.<ref name="Letzring"/> *Stereotype knowledge and utilization,<ref name="Chan">{{cite journal | last1 = Chan | first1 = W. | last2 = Mendelsohn | first2 = G. A. | year = 2010 | title = Disentangling stereotype and person effects: Do social stereotypes bias observer judgment of personality? . | journal = Journal of Research in Personality | volume = 44 | issue = 2| pages = 251–257 | doi = 10.1016/j.jrp.2010.02.001 }}</ref> **When judges are only aware of the target's group membership, judges are likely to base personality judgments on their knowledge of stereotypes concerning the relevant group.<ref name="Chan"/> However, these effects are much stronger for gender stereotypes than ethnic stereotypes, such that even when abundant information about the target is available, judges will base personality judgment on gender stereotypes but not ethnic stereotypes.<ref name="Chan"/> *Relationship to the target individual <ref name="Connelly">{{cite journal | last1 = Connelly | first1 = B. S. | last2 = Ones | first2 = D. S. | year = 2010 | title = An other perspective on personality: Meta-analytic integration of observers' accuracy and predictive validity | journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 136 | issue = 6| pages = 1092–1122 | doi = 10.1037/a0021212 | pmid = 21038940 }}</ref> **Judges who are acquainted with the target individual typically provide more accurate personality judgments, presumably due to their knowledge of the individual across different types of situations.<ref name="Connelly"/> *Number of judges<ref name="Connelly"/> **Although one judge may provide an accurate personality judgment, the average of multiple judgments from different individuals more strongly predicts behavior than judgments from one individual.<ref name="Connelly"/> *Sex of the judge<ref name="Letzring"/> **Females typically provide more accurate personality judgments than males.<ref name="Letzring"/>

====Target characteristics==== Characteristics of the target individual that are important for accurate personality judgment include the following: *Visibility of the trait in question<ref name="FunderDobroth1987">{{cite journal|last1=Funder|first1=David C.|last2=Dobroth|first2=Kathryn M.|title=Differences between traits: Properties associated with interjudge agreement.|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|volume=52|issue=2|year=1987|pages=409–418|issn=0022-3514|doi=10.1037/0022-3514.52.2.409|pmid=3559898}}</ref> **Traits that are more readily observable are more likely to elicit accurate judgments.<ref name="FunderDobroth1987"/> Extraversion is typically considered a more visible trait, whereas neuroticism is considered a less visible trait.<ref name="FunderDobroth1987"/> *Psychological adjustment of the target individual<ref name="HumanBiesanz2011">{{cite journal|last1=Human|first1=Lauren J.|last2=Biesanz|first2=Jeremy C.|title=Target adjustment and self-other agreement: Utilizing trait observability to disentangle judgeability and self-knowledge.|journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology|volume=101|issue=1|year=2011|pages=202–216|issn=1939-1315|doi=10.1037/a0023782|pmid=21604892}}</ref> **Individuals who are well-adjusted are more likely to elicit accurate personality judgments.<ref name="HumanBiesanz2011"/> Well-adjusted individuals reveal more about their personality to those they interact with, thus making it easier for others to judge them accurately.<ref name="HumanBiesanz2011"/> *Amount of personal disclosure<ref name="BeerBrooks2011">{{cite journal|last1=Beer|first1=Andrew|last2=Brooks|first2=Cody|title=Information quality in personality judgment: The value of personal disclosure|journal=Journal of Research in Personality|volume=45|issue=2|year=2011|pages=175–185|issn=0092-6566|doi=10.1016/j.jrp.2011.01.001}}</ref> **Targets of personality judgment who reveal personal information about themselves facilitate ease of accurate personality judgment for the traits of agreeableness, openness to experience, and extraversion.<ref name="BeerBrooks2011"/> Additionally, individuals who disclose personal values to others may facilitate the ease of accurate judgment of neuroticism.<ref name="BeerBrooks2011"/> *Expressions of emotion<ref name="HallGunnery2011">{{cite journal|last1=Hall|first1=Judith A.|last2=Gunnery|first2=Sarah D.|last3=Andrzejewski|first3=Susan A.|title=Nonverbal emotion displays, communication modality, and the judgment of personality|journal=Journal of Research in Personality|volume=45|issue=1|year=2011|pages=77–83|issn=0092-6566|doi=10.1016/j.jrp.2010.11.012}}</ref> **Individuals who display facial expressions corresponding to negative emotions such as fear and sadness are judged as being more neurotic and less extraverted and agreeable.<ref name="HallGunnery2011"/> Individuals who display facial expressions corresponding to positive emotions are typically judged as being more extraverted and agreeable.<ref name="HallGunnery2011"/> *Facial expressions corresponding to personality traits<ref name="Penton-VoakPound2006">{{cite journal|last1=Penton-Voak|first1=Ian S.|last2=Pound|first2=Nicholas|last3=Little|first3=Anthony C.|last4=Perrett|first4=David I.|title=Personality Judgments from Natural and Composite Facial Images: More Evidence For A "Kernel Of Truth" In Social Perception|journal=Social Cognition|volume=24|issue=5|year=2006|pages=607–640|issn=0278-016X|doi=10.1521/soco.2006.24.5.607}}</ref> **Individuals are able to accurately judge many traits on the basis of viewing photographs of the faces of people who exemplify specific traits.<ref name="Penton-VoakPound2006"/> Individuals are especially accurate at judging personality when viewing a photograph that consists of a composite of faces that display the same trait.<ref name="Penton-VoakPound2006"/>

==Effects on behavior== Personality judgment not only influences perceptions of individuals, it also may influence the behavior of individuals being judged. This phenomenon is known as behavioral confirmation, and occurs when one's preconceived ideas about a person influence the behavior of the person. For example, if an individual is believed to be aggressive, one's behavior toward that individual may elicit an aggressive response, even if the individual is not typically aggressive.<ref name="SnyderKlein2005"/> Behavioral confirmation may occur in a variety of settings, including classrooms and social interactions. Researchers have shown that when a male individual believes he is talking to an attractive woman over the phone, the woman will act more sociable and agreeable than if the male believes he is talking to an unattractive woman.<ref name="Tanke">{{cite journal | last1 = Snyder | first1 = M. | last2 = Tanke | first2 = E. D. | last3 = Berscheid | first3 = E. | year = 1977 | title = Social perception and interpersonal behavior: On the self-fulfilling nature of social stereotypes | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 35 | issue = 9| pages = 656–666 | doi = 10.1037/0022-3514.35.9.656 }}</ref> This suggests that the woman's behavior in this situation is being influenced by the male's expectations concerning her appearance, rather than her actual personality characteristics.<ref name="Tanke"/>

==Cultural influences==

An additional determinant of the processes through which personality is judged and the accuracy of these judgments is culture. Typically, researchers report cross-cultural consistency in the judgment of personality.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Albright | first1 = L. | last2 = Malloy | first2 = T. E. | last3 = Dong | first3 = Q. | last4 = Kenny | first4 = D. A. | last5 = Fang | first5 = X. | year = 1997 | title = Cross-cultural consensus in personality judgments | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 72 | issue = 3| pages = 558–569 | doi = 10.1037/0022-3514.72.3.558 | pmid = 9120784 }}</ref> However, people from different types of cultures tend to find certain traits more easily identifiable than others, based on judging personality from facial characteristics of targets alone.<ref name="WalkerJiang2011">{{cite journal|last1=Walker|first1=M.|last2=Jiang|first2=F.|last3=Vetter|first3=T.|last4=Sczesny|first4=S.|title=Universals and Cultural Differences in Forming Personality Trait Judgments From Faces|journal=Social Psychological and Personality Science|volume=2|issue=6|year=2011|pages=609–617|issn=1948-5506|doi=10.1177/1948550611402519|citeseerx=10.1.1.718.486|s2cid=109928748 }}</ref> For example, people from Western cultures are typically better able to identify the traits of extroversion and aggression than individuals from Eastern cultures.<ref name="WalkerJiang2011"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Personality