Characteristics of the Judge That Are Related to Accuracy

Abstract

There exists a substantial body of work, dating back nearly a century, exploring individual differences in the ability to accurately judge the personality traits and characteristics of other people. While the picture of the good judge of others’ personality remains somewhat abstract, there are some characteristics that consistently bear out as important, such as intelligence and emotional stability. Overall, there are five characteristics that have been investigated as correlates of this ability: (1) cognitive functioning, (2) personality, (3) motivation, (4) gender, and (5) behavior. This chapter opens with an introduction to this area of scholarship, a brief coverage of the conceptual framework, and the definitions and measurement of accuracy. A description of the research within each of the five areas is then provided. Next, some theoretical considerations for ongoing research on the good judge are illuminated. Finally, this chapter concludes with some worthy directions for future research related to the good judge of personality.