Is perceived similarity more than assumed similarity? An interpersonal path to seeing similarity between self and others.

Abstract

for their help with data collection and behavioral coding.

Trait-specificity versus global positivity: A critical test of alternative sources of assumed similarity in personality judgments.

“…At the same time, however, other findings suggest that members of peer groups perceive each other as increasingly similar on specific traits upon interacting more over time (Srivastava et al, 2010). Arguably, the latter finding is to some extent a consequence of elicited similarity (Hughes et al, 2021); to test this, future research on real-life encounters that disentangles trait- and state-perceptions would be valuable. Specifically, this type of research could quantify the extent to which perceived similarity in everyday social interactions is attributable to stable, potentially unwarranted assumptions about others versus actual situational elicitation of trait-specific behaviors.…”

“…This is because similarity refers to the configuration of multiple trait levels within a given perceiver–target dyad. To nonetheless account for actual similarity, profile-based analyses can include the target’s self-reported personality profile as a predictor (e.g., Huelsnitz et al, 2020; Hughes et al, 2021; Human & Biesanz, 2012; Locke et al, 2014). However, this opportunity has often been missed in previous work (Paunonen & Hong, 2013), and even when done, the results are limited to the degree that targets’ self-reports are reliable and valid (Westfall & Yarkoni, 2016).…”

“…Apart from the apparent inconsistency in findings, both of these previous projects might have suffered from having perceivers' rate targets they had personally interacted with, which could lead assumed similarity correlations to be inflated by similarity evoked by the perceiver's own behavior during those interactions (i.e., elicited similarity; Hughes et al, 2021). For example, a charming and friendly individual may elicit positive behavior in their interaction partners and thus likely reveal a positive perceiver effect not (only) because of their benevolent judgment style but (also) because interaction partners did, in fact, behave friendlier toward them.…”

Trait-specificity versus global positivity: A critical test of alternative sources of assumed similarity in personality judgments

“…At the same time, however, other findings suggest that members of peer groups perceive each other as increasingly similar on specific traits upon interacting more over time (Srivastava et al, 2010). Arguably, the latter finding is to some extent a consequence of elicited similarity (Hughes et al, 2021); to test this, future research on real-life encounters that disentangles trait-and state-perceptions would be valuable. Specifically, this type of research could quantify the extent to which perceived similarity in everyday social interactions is attributable to unwarranted, stable assumptions versus actual situational elicitation of trait-specific behaviors.…”

“…Apart from the apparent inconsistency in findings, both of these previous projects might have suffered from having perceivers rate targets they had personally interacted with, which could lead assumed similarity correlations to be inflated by similarity evoked by the perceiver's own behavior during those interactions (i.e., elicited similarity; Hughes et al, 2021). For example, a charming and friendly individual may elicit positive behavior in their interaction partners and thus likely reveal a positive perceiver effect not (only) because of their benevolent judgment style but (also) because interaction partners did in fact behave friendlier towards them.…”