Citation

Wood AM, Brown GD, Maltby J, Watkinson P. J. Pers. 2013; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1467-6494.2011.00763.x

PMID

22224698

Abstract

This paper suggests that personality judgments are wholly relative, being the outcome of a comparison of a given individual to a reference group of others. The underlying comparison processes are the same as are used to judge psychophysical stimuli (as outlined by Range Frequency Theory and Decision by Sampling accounts). Five experimental studies show that the same person's personality is rated differently depending on how their behavior (a) ranks within a reference group, and (b) falls within the overall range of behavior shown by other reference group members. Results were invariant across stimulus type and response options (seven point Likert scale, 990 point allocation task, or dichotomous choice). Simulated occupational scenarios led participants to give different sized bonuses and employ different people as a function of context. Future research should note that personality judgments (as in self-report personality scales) only represent perceived standing relative to others, or alternatively should measure personality through behavior or biological reactivity. Personality judgments cannot be used to compare different populations when the population participants have different reference groups (as in cross-cultural research).

Language: en