Accuracy of Person Perception

Androgynous, sex-typed, and undifferentiated subjects predicted the responses of androgynous, sex-typed, and undifferentiated others to masculine, feminine, and neutral situations. The self-report criterion data replicated the findings of Helmreich, Spence, & Holahan (1979). In accordance with Cronbach's (1955) suggestion, separate correlational measures of person accuracy, situation accuracy, and person-by-situation accuracy were computed. Subjects were more accurate at predicting person effects and situation effects than person-by-situation interactions. Females-particularly feminine-typed females-were best at making person predictions, while males-particularly masculine-typed and androgynous males were best at making situation predictions.