The how and why of disagreement among perceivers: An exploration of person models

Abstract

Impression formation has been conceptualized as a process whereby perceivers form person models of others, describing what the person is like and why (Park, DeKay, & Kraus, 1994). If they exist, person models could help explain why there appears to be little consensus in personality judgments; perceivers forming different models of a person would also view them differently on trait and affect ratings. Two experiments were conducted to test assumptions of the person-model paradigm using naturalistic targets. The structure of person models was examined, along with their content. Results demonstrated that three distinct person models emerge for each target and that the majority of perceivers can easily identify with one of the three models. We found that person models were valid across different groups of perceivers, and that the models differed in terms of masculinity–femininity and affect. Implications for the person model formulation process are discussed.