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Effects of Reference Group Instructions on Big Five Trait Scores
Madeline R Lenhausen1, Wiebke Bleidorn2, Christopher J Hopwood2
1University of California, Davis, USA.
Assessment
|May 30, 2023
Summary
Personality questionnaire scores vary based on the comparison group used. Comparing oneself to others generally yields more adaptive scores than comparing to one's past or ideal self.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Personality Assessment
Background:
- Self-reported personality traits are commonly assessed using questionnaires.
- Respondents typically compare themselves to an unspecified reference group, potentially influencing scores.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different specified reference groups affect Big Five personality trait scores.
- To compare scores derived from unspecified versus specified reference groups.
Main Methods:
- Participants completed Big Five personality questionnaires under various reference group conditions.
- Conditions included no specified group, people in general, close others, same age, same gender, ideal self, and past self.
Main Results:
- Personality scores were generally more adaptive for between-person comparisons (e.g., people in general) than within-person comparisons (e.g., ideal self).
- Unprompted self-assessments (no specified group) resulted in slightly higher trait scores.
- Minimal differences were observed across various between-person reference groups, except men reporting higher agreeableness when compared to other men.
Conclusions:
- The choice of reference group significantly impacts personality trait self-assessments.
- Between-person comparisons may offer more stable and interpretable personality scores in assessment contexts.
- Findings have implications for both fundamental personality research and practical applications in assessment.
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