Accuracy and bias in newlywed spouses' perceptions of each other's personalities

Wendy I. Wood; C. Rebecca Oldham; Alan Reifman; Sylvia Niehuis

doi:10.1111/pere.12219

Accuracy and bias in newlywed spouses' perceptions of each other's personalities

Wendy I. Wood, C. Rebecca Oldham, Alan Reifman, Sylvia Niehuis

Human Development and Family Studies

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated moderators of newlywed spouses' accuracy in judging each other's personality. Spouses in 154 predominantly Hispanic newlywed couples rated their own and their partners' personality traits. Full-sample results showed significant associations between perceivers' and targets' personality ratings (“truth force”/“tracking accuracy”). Positive directional bias (perceivers' mean trait ratings of targets exceeding targets' self-ratings) also was evident. Positive directional bias occurred when perceivers had little familiarity with their spouse prior to dating and when perceivers had high self-esteem. Truth force/tracking accuracy increased with less time spent cohabiting and higher perceiver self-esteem. Positive associations between perceivers' self-esteem and ratings of partners on positively valenced traits were reduced when partners had had greater opportunities to observe one another's behaviors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	886-901
Number of pages	16
Journal	Personal Relationships
Volume	24
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12219
State	Published - Dec 2017

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10.1111/pere.12219

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title = "Accuracy and bias in newlywed spouses' perceptions of each other's personalities",

abstract = "This study investigated moderators of newlywed spouses' accuracy in judging each other's personality. Spouses in 154 predominantly Hispanic newlywed couples rated their own and their partners' personality traits. Full-sample results showed significant associations between perceivers' and targets' personality ratings (“truth force”/“tracking accuracy”). Positive directional bias (perceivers' mean trait ratings of targets exceeding targets' self-ratings) also was evident. Positive directional bias occurred when perceivers had little familiarity with their spouse prior to dating and when perceivers had high self-esteem. Truth force/tracking accuracy increased with less time spent cohabiting and higher perceiver self-esteem. Positive associations between perceivers' self-esteem and ratings of partners on positively valenced traits were reduced when partners had had greater opportunities to observe one another's behaviors.",

author = "Wood, {Wendy I.} and Oldham, {C. Rebecca} and Alan Reifman and Sylvia Niehuis",

note = "Funding Information: This project was funded by grants to Sylvia Niehuis from Texas Tech University{\textquoteright}s Office of the Vice President for Research, Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement, College of Human Sciences, and Department of Human Development and Family Studies. This paper is the result of Wendy I. Wood{\textquoteright}s undergraduate research with Sylvia Niehuis. Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2017 IARR",

year = "2017",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1111/pere.12219",

language = "English",

volume = "24",

pages = "886--901",

journal = "Personal Relationships",

issn = "1350-4126",

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AU - Wood, Wendy I.

AU - Oldham, C. Rebecca

AU - Reifman, Alan

AU - Niehuis, Sylvia

N1 - Funding Information: This project was funded by grants to Sylvia Niehuis from Texas Tech University’s Office of the Vice President for Research, Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement, College of Human Sciences, and Department of Human Development and Family Studies. This paper is the result of Wendy I. Wood’s undergraduate research with Sylvia Niehuis. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2017 IARR

PY - 2017/12

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N2 - This study investigated moderators of newlywed spouses' accuracy in judging each other's personality. Spouses in 154 predominantly Hispanic newlywed couples rated their own and their partners' personality traits. Full-sample results showed significant associations between perceivers' and targets' personality ratings (“truth force”/“tracking accuracy”). Positive directional bias (perceivers' mean trait ratings of targets exceeding targets' self-ratings) also was evident. Positive directional bias occurred when perceivers had little familiarity with their spouse prior to dating and when perceivers had high self-esteem. Truth force/tracking accuracy increased with less time spent cohabiting and higher perceiver self-esteem. Positive associations between perceivers' self-esteem and ratings of partners on positively valenced traits were reduced when partners had had greater opportunities to observe one another's behaviors.

AB - This study investigated moderators of newlywed spouses' accuracy in judging each other's personality. Spouses in 154 predominantly Hispanic newlywed couples rated their own and their partners' personality traits. Full-sample results showed significant associations between perceivers' and targets' personality ratings (“truth force”/“tracking accuracy”). Positive directional bias (perceivers' mean trait ratings of targets exceeding targets' self-ratings) also was evident. Positive directional bias occurred when perceivers had little familiarity with their spouse prior to dating and when perceivers had high self-esteem. Truth force/tracking accuracy increased with less time spent cohabiting and higher perceiver self-esteem. Positive associations between perceivers' self-esteem and ratings of partners on positively valenced traits were reduced when partners had had greater opportunities to observe one another's behaviors.

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DO - 10.1111/pere.12219

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JO - Personal Relationships

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ER -

Accuracy and bias in newlywed spouses' perceptions of each other's personalities

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