Some Characteristics of Good Judges of Others*

A group of forty subjects, undergoing a ‘living‐in’ assessment programme, were tested on their ability to make accurate analytic judgements about their peers. This ability was found to correlate positively with certain background variables such as urban origin, previous working experience, none or few siblings, being a student in natural sciences (versus social science), and certain cognitive abilities. good judges, as opposed to poor ones, tended to be stable, serious and socially passive persons, task oriented and socially detached. No relationship was found between ability to judge others and artistic ability, ability to play roles, sociability, femininity or ability to judge self. findings are explained in terms of a special ability, availability of appropriate judgemental frames of reference, and presence of motivation towards making objective social judgements. good judges are typically extraceptive and poor judges intraceptive.