Effect of Acquaintanceship on Accuracy of Person Perception

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Abstract
Accuracy, assumed similarity, and actual similarity were assessed for an acquaintance and a stranger target selected by the subject. Four standardized questionnaires were used to obtain separate estimates of each variable, Cattell's 16 PF test, Gough's Adjective Check List, the Abilities and Characteristics Scale of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, and Bernreuter's Personality Inventory. All measures showed significant differences in the predicted direction for accuracy and no significant between-target differences for assumed similarity or actual similarity. The Adjective Check List proved to be very susceptible to social desirability response set and produced accuracy scores that were strongly associated with assumed similarity. On the other measures, accuracy scores were relatively independent of assumed similarity, suggesting that these instruments are suitable for studies of person perception.

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