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Empirical Paper

In Person, Online, and Up Close: The Cross-contextual Consistency of Expressive Accuracy

Lauren J. Human

Corresponding Author

Lauren J. Human

Psychology Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Correspondence to: Lauren J. Human, Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1G1.

E-mail: lauren.human@mcgill.ca

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Katherine H. Rogers

Katherine H. Rogers

Psychology Department, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USA

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Jeremy C. Biesanz

Jeremy C. Biesanz

Psychology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

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First published: 09 July 2020
Citations: 6
This article earned Open Data badge through Open Practices Disclosure from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki. The data are permanently and openly accessible at https://osf.io/4jvk9/. Author's disclosure form may also be found at the Supporting Information in the online version.

Abstract

People vary widely in their expressive accuracy, the tendency to be viewed in line with one's unique traits. It is unclear, however, whether expressive accuracy is a stable individual difference that transcends social contexts or a more piecemeal, context-specific characteristic. The current research therefore examined the consistency of expressive accuracy across three social contexts: face-to-face initial interactions, close relationships, and social media. There was clear evidence for cross-contextual consistency, such that expressive accuracy in face-to-face first impressions, based on brief round-robin interactions, was associated with expressive accuracy with close others (Sample 1; Ntargets = 514; Ndyads = 1656) and based on Facebook profiles (Samples 2 and 3: Ntargets = 126–132; Ndyads = 1170–1476). This was found on average across traits and for high and low observability traits. Further, unique predictors emerged for different types of expressive accuracy, with psychological adjustment and conscientiousness most consistently linked to overall expressive accuracy, extraversion most consistently linked to high observability expressive accuracy, and neuroticism most consistently linked to low observability expressive accuracy. In sum, expressive accuracy appears to emerge robustly and consistently across contexts, although its predictors may differ depending on the type of trait. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

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