LAY INFERENCES OF PERSONALITY-TRAITS - THE ROLE OF BEHAVIOR PROTOTYPICALITY AND BETWEEN-TRAIT DIFFERENCES

In Study 1, 60-item sets of behavioural acts exemplifying a personalit y trait were elicited for each of 40 traits. Each set of behaviours wa s then rated by 66 students for their inferential meaning (prototypica lity) and evaluative meaning (valence). As predicted, the traits diffe red in the degree of congruence between the two meanings of their exem plifications. In Study 2, 80 subjects were presented with behaviour de scriptions varying in their prototypicality for congruent or incongrue nt traits, and were asked for trait inferences and evaluations. The hi gher prototypicality, the more the inferred traits were similar to the original 'criterion' traits and the more extreme were the ascriptions of those freely inferred traits. As predicted on the basis of accentu ation theory, behaviours exemplifying congruent traits led to more ext reme trait inferences and evaluations than behaviours exemplifying inc ongruent traits. We conclude that trait inferences and evaluations are based both on prototypicality of behavioural acts and on structural p roperties of the traits exemplified by these acts.