6 - The psychophysics of trait perception: Accurately detecting minimal differences between people

Abstract

Although trait perception has been widely researched using the Social Relations Model (SRM), this chapter addresses a basic question that has received scant attention. What are the minimal differences in trait information between two people that are detectable, judged consensually, and accurately? Inspired by classic psychophysical methods for comparative judgments derived by Ozer (1993), five experiments were conducted, and SRM variance components were used to quantify the detection of minimal differences in trait information. Because the stimulus information representing two targets’ traits was known and controlled experimentally, consensual judgments provide evidence for accuracy because they conform to objective criteria.