The role of adjustment in accurate interpersonal impressions

Accurate understanding between individuals is assumed to be associated with enhanced personal and interpersonal adjustment. Across a series of studies, we utilized the social accuracy model (Biesanz, 2007, 2009) to examine the relationship between perceiver and target adjustment with (a) impressionistic accuracy, the formation of accurate personality impressions across a wide range of attributes and (b) two Cronbachian-like (1955) components of accuracy – distinctive and normative accuracy. Across three round-robin studies, involving new acquaintances (Studies 1 and 2) and close peers (Study 3), diverse measures of adjustment were associated with components of perceptive accuracy (the good judge) and expressive accuracy (the good target). Specifically, perceiver adjustment was linked to normative accuracy, while target adjustment was linked to distinctive accuracy. Study 4 found that satisfaction with one’s romantic partner was associated with being viewed more distinctively by observers. Thus, across different social contexts and measures of adjustment, including behavioural and informant-reported indices, elements of perceptive and expressive accuracy were strongly and consistently linked to adjustment. In sum, well-adjusted individuals tend to view others normatively and in turn are viewed distinctively.