So what does such a test look like? Typically, performance-based social perception tests contain multiple-choice questions on personality, affect, intentions, future social behavior, thoughts, and social attributes (e.g., status) of targets in brief video segments. Objective criteria must be used to establish correct from incorrect responses, and questions have been selected based on responses from large samples of participants. Here are three example topics that can test your social perception ability and have been incorporated into the test.Ā Ā
- First, imagine seeing a group of people coming into a meeting room to discuss a new project. Even after a few seconds watching how people enter the room, take their seats and greet each other, one can tell who the lead is.Ā
- You see a team leader listening to several project ideas from different team members. Based on very early listenerās response, good observers can guess which idea will be accepted.Ā
- You observe two snapshots of a standard negotiation between two job candidates and an HR manager. Interpersonally accurate judges are able to infer which candidate is the most conscientious from their responses to a question.Ā
A last promising note on this recent trend in developing applied tests is that psychometric studies show their validity in multiple languages. This is exceptional because most earlier tests have been developed or validated only in English and with US samples. In addition, first practical or predictive value is being shown, such as leaders generally scoring higher than non-leaders, indicating that social perception ability predicts leadership. This indicates that social perception ability is measurable and new tools emerging from academic research will soon complement existing assessment batteries to the benefit of business and society.Ā
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Source: Dael, N., Schlegel, K., Weaver, A. E., Ruben, M. A., & Schmid Mast, M. (2022). Validation of a performance measure of broad interpersonal accuracy. Journal of Research in Personality, 97, 104182. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JRP.2021.104182