Slide 1ObjectivesThe Point of Judging (or measuring) TraitsPersonality Judgment: The Realistic Accuracy ModelSlide 5The Accuracy of Personality Judgment: Moderators of AccuracyThe Accuracy of Personality Judgment: Moderators of AccuracyWhat does your room say about you?Slide 9Slide 10Types of Personality clues in surroundings:“Behavioral Residue”Identity claimsIdentity claims…“Feeling Regulators”4 Approaches Used to Connect Traits with BehaviorThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Single-Trait ApproachThe Many-Trait ApproachSlide 25Slide 26The Many-Trait ApproachThe Many-Trait ApproachThe Many-Trait ApproachSlide 30© 2016 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.The Personality PuzzleSixth Editionby David C. Funder Psychology of PersonalityLecture 8 2/15/16Personality Judgment in Daily Life (finish)Using Traits to Understand BehaviorStephanie Federspiel, Ph.D.1Objectives•Consider: why do we judge personality traits, and how can we be more accurate?•Discuss whether people really judge a person’s traits by their bedroom or office space and how this works (“Room with a cue” article).•Introduce four common approaches used to connect traits and behavior.•Discuss the single-trait approach1The Point of Judging (or measuring) Traits•Personality traits predict behavior•Traits can be used to understand behavior•Why do you think this is important?Personality Judgment: The Realistic Accuracy Model•How can judge’s accuracy be improved???•Requires good information (from target) and well-functioning meaning systems (judge)Not all targets, traits, info, judges are equal!!!•What’s (a) “good”:– “target” person (any general characteristics)? –“trait”?(any notable features?)The Accuracy of Personality Judgment: Moderators of AccuracyThe Accuracy of Personality Judgment: Moderators of Accuracy•What makes for “good” information?(1) More info is generally better than less• improves self-other agreement; maybe not consensus! • even limited info very valuable if it’s situation-relevant(2) Weak versus strong situations(3) Stressful or emotionally arousing situations(4) Thoughts and feelings versus daily activities(5)Unstructured versus structured situations–Overall best situation: one that brings out the trait you want to judge!16The Accuracy of Personality Judgment: Moderators of Accuracy•What makes a “good” judge?–High in communion related values, expressive, open, and socially skilled. –Relatively agreeable, well-adjusted– Describes others in favorable terms and generally judges others favorably –Is attributionally complex. Men: Outgoing and confident interpersonal styleWomen: Openness and interest in other peopleWhat does your room say about you?(1) Personal spaces make an impression that multiple observers tend to share (consensus)(2) Accuracy of that impression is highest for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion(3) Transactions with physical environment appear to leave several types of valid clues about personality in offices and bedrooms. (4) A mix of valid cue utilization and invalid cue utilization (bias) occurs in these judgments.910Types of Personality clues in surroundings:•Several distinct mechanisms provide clues (Gosling, 2009; Gosling et al. 2002)Behavioral residue •Internal activities•External activitiesIdentity claims•Self-directed•Other-directedFeeling Regulators12“Behavioral Residue”•Repeated behaviors either in that space (internal) or outside of that space (external)•Links – w/ Traits–Recent past–Goals, projects–Hard to fakeIdentity claims13Self-Directed--for self, not public --Often Idiosyncratic--may be mass-produced Role models/Ideals?Evidence of success?Past goodness?Strengthen, affirm self-conceptIdentity claims…14•Primarily for public/others–Location; shared meaning!•Impression formation–Avoid ambiguity–Project an image–Deception possible–Attract –Mark boundaries/repel–Self-esteem–Self-express“Feeling Regulators”•Objects help w/emotion regulation.–Personal•Relationships•Mementos•Also identity claims (some types)–Impersonal•Not about personal relationships, experiences• Objects: Posters, Quotes154 Approaches Used to Connect Traits with Behavior1. Single-trait approach2. Many-trait approach3. Essential-trait approach4. Typological approachThe Single-Trait Approach•What do people with a certain personality trait do?–Associations between one trait and many behaviors–Usually based on a theory of the trait–Often, these “traits” are complex aggregates•Specific Behaviors•Ability/capacity•Specific motivation and values•Linked with negative outcomes, but inconsistently…The Single-Trait Approach•Self-monitoring: the degree to which inner and outer selves and behaviors are the same or different across situations.–High: Guided by situational cues. (- consistent)Discrepant selves/behaviorGood actors! Good job interview impression! –Low: Guided by inner personality (+ consistent) Similar selves/behaviorThe Single-Trait Approach•Is high or low Self-monitoring desirable?–Low: Less willing/able to manipulate situations.–High: High: adjusts public appearance and behavior to enhance status and self-interests+ Extraversion (social skills, can attend to cues)+Drive for power and personal status. More likely to be ethically, socially pragmatic +Links with counter-productive work behavior! An ethically-oriented environment matters!!!The Single-Trait Approach•Narcissism: excessive self-love, self-centeredness with an overriding motivation to maximize and protect self-esteem.–High self-confidence, charisma, power and its rewards.–Interpersonal adjustment is a big problem!–Charming, make good first impression but are revealed to be manipulative, overbearing, vain, etc.The Single-Trait Approach•Some Narcissism correlates:•Believe they’re better than objective criteria suggest (Gabriel, Critelli, & Ee, 1984)•Aggress against those responsible for ego threat (Bushman & Baumeister 1998) or social exclusion (Twenge & Campbell, 2003),• experience unstable mood and self-esteem, especially in the face of failure feedback (Rhodewalt & Morf, 1998)The Single-Trait Approach•There are probably several reasons why narcissists behave this way…. (1) Defend artificially inflated