Dw. Kolar et al., COMPARING THE ACCURACY OF PERSONALITY JUDGMENTS BY THE SELF AND KNOWLEDGEABLE OTHERS, Journal of personality, 64(2), 1996, pp. 311-337
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.