Gosling

Gosling

Personality Psych
Gosling, Ko, Mannarelli, and Morris (2002)

In this research paper authors claim that people choose and create their physical environments to reflect and reinforce who they are; and that bystanders or observers are able to use this everyday information to form impressions of what the occupant of those environments are. According to Brunswick elements in the environment can serve as a kind or lens through which observers indirectly perceive underlying constructs (Gosling, Ko, Mannarelli, and Morris 2002). Example given is an organized office desk which may tell an observer that occupant’s high level of conscientiousness. By utilizing various cues in a given environment we can draw a picture of the occupant.
Authors go on to discuss the importance and difference between self-directed and other directed identity claims. Self-directed identity claims are items that people obtain to represent themselves, like when people chose to paint their room a certain color, or hang up an American flag to show their nationalism, or own a sculpture to show their love and interest in art. These identity claims may also be other-directed, or a false representation of oneself. You are trying to show the observers perhaps how you would like to perceived but not actually are that person.
Gosling et al conducted an experiment to support their claims and answer few basic questions. Do observers agree about individuals’ personalities on the basis of their personal environments? Are observers’ impressions correct? Which cues do observers use to form their impressions, and which cues are valid? And how do stereotypes affect consensus and accuracy.
Two study designs were set up, first was an office setting in large US cities. A team of observers made personality ratings of occupants based only based on examination of occupants’ personal office environments. The observers were undergraduate students, unacquainted with the participants and did not discuss...