THE ACCURACY OF SOCIAL-PERCEPTION AND COGNITION - SITUATIONALLY CONTINGENT AND PROCESS-BASED

A review of human accuracy is presented which examines accuracy-relate d issues that have been of interest to psychologists for many years. A re people generally accurate or inaccurate? What are some boundary con ditions of accuracy? What are the. determinants of accuracy? What are the processes whereby accuracy is enhanced or impeded? In attempting t o answer these questions it becomes cleat that it is difficult to make general statements about accuracy. A situationally specific approach to accuracy is adopted instead which considers accuracy issues as they relate to the judgmental process at large. Historical trends in accur acy research are reviewed, possible paradigms or frameworks for explor ing contemporary issues in accuracy research are discussed, and recent work by psychologists examining accuracy in a wide variety of researc h domains are presented and explored.