Definition

The accuracy of personality judgments refers to an area of research in which people evaluate the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of themselves or others and the correctness of their evaluations are determined. The determination of accuracy, or correctness, is a constant challenge for researchers because it is often unclear what to use as the standard for truth. It is straightforward to verify people's estimates of height and weight by using a tape measure and scale, but accuracy researchers must determine, for example, if a person's friendliness rating of a coworker is accurate. The absence of a friendliness “tape measure” requires researchers to use a variety of measurement techniques that together provide a close approximation of the personality characteristic under investigation. Accuracy researchers typically compare a ...