SELF-MONITORING AND THE PREDICTION OF ONES OWN AND OTHERS PERSONALITYTEST-SCORES

This study had two aims. Firstly, it examined the similarity between s ubjects' ratings of themselves and others and their scores on various personality tests. A group of 264 undergraduates in psychology complet ed Snyder's (1974) Self-Monitoring Scale and the Neuroticism and Extra version Scales from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck and Eysenck, 1975; 1986). Then, they estimated both their own score and t hat of a peer on those questionnaires. The results showed that subject s (i) were fairly good at estimating their own and others' extraversio n and neuroticism scores, (ii) were less accurate at estimating self-m onitoring scores, (iii) were better at predicting their own scores tha n those of others, and (iv) erroneously believed themselves to be sign ificantly similar to the chosen peer. Secondly, individual differences in the accuracy, of personality estimation were studied. According to Synder's (1974) self-monitoring construct, people high in self-monito ring would be especially adept at reading others' expressive behaviour s; therefore, any differences in the accuracy of perceiving the person ality of others might be associated with differences in self-monitorin g. High self-monitors were more accurate than low self-monitors at est imating neuroticism scores for others. Another implication of the self -monitoring theory is that, taking high and low self-monitors as targe ts of others' estimations, there should be greater discrepancy, betwee n actual scores and peer estimations for high self-monitors, The resul ts here supported this prediction, but only in self-monitoring estimat ion.