COMPARING THE ACCURACY OF PERSONALITY JUDGMENTS BY THE SELF AND KNOWLEDGEABLE OTHERS

In this article we compare the accuracy of personality judgments by th e self and by knowledgeable others. Self- and acquaintance judgments o f general personality attributes were used to predict general, videota ped behavioral criteria. Results slightly favored the predictive valid ity of personality judgments made by single acquaintances over self-ju dgments, and significantly favored the aggregated personality judgment s of two acquaintances over self-judgments. These findings imply that the most valid source for personality judgments that are relevant to p atterns of overt behavior may not be self-reports but the consensus of the judgment of the community of one's peers.