Self-knowledge of perceiver effects: Do people know how positively they tend to view targets relative to other people?

Abstract

There are stable individual differences in how positive people’s impressions of others tend to be and these perceptual tendencies in turn shape behaviour. Using data from an experimental online photo-rating study (N = 303) and from an in-lab round-robin study (N = 156), we explored whether people have insight into how positive their impressions tend to be compared to others. Results from both studies suggest that people are aware of how positive their impressions tend to be relative to others. We discuss implications of having or lacking this form of self-knowledge.