The Research On Interpersonal Perception In Internet Chatting

Based on past researches on interpersonal perception and D.C Funder's RealisticAccuracy Model, this research examined the characteristics of interpersonal perception in internet chatting, including accuracy of interpersonal perception(self-other agreement),meta-accuracy, moderators of accuracy and meta-accuracy,the differences among self-ratings,other-ratings and metaperception, and moderators of likability. 84 undergraduate and graduate students interacted in internet by OICQ one to one for thirty minutes, then completed a self-edit internet chatting questionaire including ratings on cattell's 16 personality traits and so on. The results showed that:(1) In internet chatting, perceivers were able to judge targets's some personality traits with some extent accuracy. Unlike researches using face to face interaction , inner traits tended to be judged more easily than outer traits in internet chatting, and extraversion was judged least accurately in internet chatting. (2) Participants were able to achieve some extent accuracy in metaperception on most personality traits and the results implied that the process of metaperception tended to match self-judgment model. (3) Perceivers and targets' personality characteristics had moderate effect on both accuracy and meta-accuracy; Participants whose content of internet chatting was more true were judged more accuratly, and had more accurate metaperception; Unlike researches using face to face interaction, traits' observability had negative effect on accuacy and meta-accuracy; Traits' desirability tended to reduce the accuracy and had no significant effect on meta-accuracy; Though gender had no significant effect on accuracy and meta-accuracy, there were noteworthy sex differences in the content of interpersonal perception. (4) The differences between self-ratings and other-ratings indicated that participants elevated themselves on intelligence and conscientiousness. The differences between self-ratings and metaperception suggested that participants may present themselves more extrovert in internet chatting than in their real life. (5) Participants' personality trait extroversion,nervousness and prior internet chatting experience were effective moderate predictors of their likability.