Self-Prediction: Exploring the Parameters of Accuracy

by Timothy M. Osberg and J. Sidney Shrauger

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Volume 51, Issue 5, pp. 1044–1057) 1986
  • Psychology

Conducted 4 studies with 312 undergraduates to explore self-prediction processes of individuals. Study 1 examined the types of information people report using when making self-predictions. Five categories of information were determined. Studies 2 and 3 examined the relation between the use of different categories of information and self-perception accuracy. Results demonstrate the utility of attending to personal base rate and personal disposition information in formulating accurate self-predictions. Individual differences in accuracy as a function of public and private self-consciousness were also evident. Study 4 found that more certain self-predictions, as well as predictions that were distinct from what was expected for the average individual, were more accurate. Overall, findings suggest the importance of attending to individuating information in formulating accurate self-predictions.