Self/observer agreement in personality assessment by observers’ relationship types

Abstract

We examined two forms of self/observer agreement (correlational and mean-level) in personality using a Dutch university student sample (N=5,405) with self-reports and observer (informant) reports from parents, siblings, friends, and partners/spouses. Correlational self/observer agreement was strong across all HEXACO-PI-R scales and across relationship types ($\overline{r}$ ≥ 0.59, but highest for partners). Regarding mean-level self/observer agreement, alleged positive bias in self-reports was not observed. Only Openness showed higher means for self-reports than for observer reports across all relationship types (d = 0.37). Mean observer report scores varied by relationship: people perceived their children as more honest and less anxious and perceived their siblings as less agreeable than other observers did. Partner reports showed the closest mean-level agreement with self-reports.