Citation

Kenny DA, West TV, Cillessen AH, Coie JD, Dodge KA, Hubbard JA, Schwartz D. Person. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 2007; 33(9): 1225-1236.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, CT 06269-1020, USA. david.kenny@uconn.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0146167207303026

PMID

17575243

PMCID

PMC2753446

Abstract

Perceivers are both accurate and biased in their understanding of others. Past research has distinguished between three types of accuracy: generalized accuracy, a perceiver's accuracy about how a target interacts with others in general; perceiver accuracy, a perceiver's view of others corresponding with how the perceiver is treated by others in general; and dyadic accuracy, a perceiver's accuracy about a target when interacting with that target. Researchers have proposed that there should be more dyadic than other forms of accuracy among well-acquainted individuals because of the pragmatic utility of forecasting the behavior of interaction partners. We examined behavioral aggression among well-acquainted peers. A total of 116 9-year-old boys rated how aggressive their classmates were toward other classmates. Subsequently, 11 groups of 6 boys each interacted in play groups, during which observations of aggression were made. Analyses indicated strong generalized accuracy yet little dyadic and perceiver accuracy.

Language: en