Polarity and “Accuracy” of Ratings and the Meaningfulness of Personality Dimensions

Summary

This study investigated the relative polarity and “accuracy” of ratings on personally meaningful versus meaningless personality dimensions. In contrast to previous studies, ratings on dimensons regarded as meaningful were no more polar than ratings on dimensions regarded as meaningless. With respect to accuracy, ratings on the least meaningful personality dimensions were significantly more accurate than ratings on meaningful dimensions when personality test scores and self-ratings were used as criteria. When mean peer ratings were used as criteria, accuracy was higher regardless of the meaningfulness of the dimensions. The results were interpreted in terms of the kinds of dimensions selected as most and least meaningful.