CONVERGENCE BETWEEN SELF AND PEER IN THE RESPONSE-TIME PROCESSING OF TRAIT-RELEVANT INFORMATION

Research on ''self-schemas'' has extensively documented the effects of these hypothesized cognitive structures on the processing of self-kno wledge, but it has neglected to establish whether these structures cor respond to knowledge other persons possess about an individual's perso nality traits and whether this peer-knowledge is represented by cognit ive structures similar to self-schemas. In the present study, ''schema tic'' measures such as response time in self-ratings were compared wit h traits attributed to participants by well-acquainted peers. Peer-rat ings were nearly as accurate as self-ratings in predicting response-ti me patterns in self-description. Moreover, extreme self-ratings by the target individual were predictive of extreme peer-ratings and quick p eer-judgments for the trait in question. This pattern of convergence d id not depend on any similarity between the peer's own self-ratings an d those of the target. These results indicate that the content and pro cessing characteristics of knowledge structures developed of individua ls by well-acquainted peers are remarkably similar to the content and properties of the individual's own self-schemas.