JPSP as soothing therapy and navel-gazing

For the past few days, I've been spending a bit of time going back in time through the tables of contents of 'the' psychology journal, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Besides providing absurd uninterpretable titles and abstracts that scream for alternative interpretations, it gives a view of how the other half lives (the half that doesn't care about the brain... or mechanism). But primarily, I find it calming, an anxiolytic - especially the abstracts that are like peer-reviewed self-help advice (attachment style and relationships, anyone?).

Anyway, going back to 2004, I thought this abstract was an amusing and mildly meta thing to post. Adding to the finding that bedrooms and offices reflect one's personality, it isn't too much of a surprise that websites are pretty great mirrors, too. (Gosling does great personality work, including research on hyenas personality.) We all google everyone anyway (and ourselves...), so it's nice to see that there's real information to mine.

e-Perceptions: Personality Impressions Based on Personal Websites

Simine Vazire and Samuel D. Gosling. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004:87(1)

Abstract: This research examined the accuracy of personality impressions based on personal websites, a rapidly growing medium for self-expression, where identity claims are predominant. Eighty-nine websites were viewed by 11 observers, who rated the website authors' personalities. The ratings were compared with an accuracy criterion (self- and informant reports) and with the authors' ideal-self ratings. The websites elicited high levels of observer consensus and accuracy, and observers' impressions were somewhat enhanced for Extraversion and Agreeableness. The accuracy correlations were comparable in magnitude to those found in other contexts of interpersonal perception and generally stronger than those found in zero-acquaintance contexts. These findings suggest that identity claims are used to convey valid information about personality.