Seeing or smelling? Assessing personality on the basis of different stimuli

Highlights

• I examine personality ratings based on photos, body odor and their combination.

• Neuroticism and dominance were accurately assessed based on body odor.

• Extraversion and neuroticism were accurately rated from combined photos and odor.

• Scent attractiveness correlated with targets’ personalities.

Abstract

This study examines whether people can accurately assess personality on the basis of facial images and body odor and whether attractiveness influences these relationships. Three personality dimensions of target individuals – neuroticism, extraversion and dominance – were measured with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, a one-item measure of dominance and the reports of close acquaintances. Naive observers assessed neuroticism and dominance at above-chance levels based on body odor, and they assessed extraversion (and in some cases, neuroticism) at above-chance levels based on either facial images alone or body odor and facial images presented together. The accuracy differed depending on the sex of the targets and the raters. In addition, facial and body odor attractiveness predicted the targets’ personalities and the assessments of their personalities. These results show that the accuracy of personality assessment changes when judges assess different types of stimuli.

Introduction

Research on the judgment of strangers in zero-acquaintance situations suggests that people are able to quite accurately assess the personality traits of others on the basis of videotaped behavior or short interactions (e.g., Borkenau and Liebler, 1992, Carney et al., 2007, Watson, 1989). Other studies examining the accuracy of personality judgments based on photographs alone (for a review, see Zebrowitz, 1997) suggested relatively high accuracy in assessments of extraversion (e.g., Naumann et al., 2009, Penton-Voak et al., 2006) and in some studies, in assessments of neuroticism and openness to experience (Naumann et al., 2009, Penton-Voak et al., 2006 found this result for male faces only). However, little research has investigated sources of information over and above appearance. In one of a few existing studies, Borkenau and Liebler (1992) showed that additional sources of information might in some cases increase the accuracy of personality judgments.

Borkenau and Liebler’s (1992) results are consistent with the Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM) created by Funder (1995). The author of this model suggests that judgmental accuracy is a function of the availability, detection, and utilization of relevant cues, and that variables such as the characteristics of the judges, or the traits being judged might affect this accuracy (Funder, 1995). It has yet to be determined exactly what makes accurate judgments more likely, but some studies suggest that accuracy should increase as the amount of available information or the amount of certain types of information increases (Carney et al., 2007).

It could be presumed that the availability of olfactory cues might also influence the accuracy of personality judgments. In humans, axillary odor is thought to perform a signaling function because of high activity of the glands reacting to changes in our physiology or psychological states (Sato, 1977). In addition, axillary hair, which might serve as a trap for signaling chemicals, contributes to this function. Recently, Sorokowska, Sorokowski, and Szmajke (2012) showed that human body odor might convey information about personality traits. In their study, judges’ ratings, which were based on body odor alone, were relatively congruent with the targets’ self-assessed extraversion, neuroticism and dominance. The authors suggested that such assessments were possible because personality and body odor are influenced with the same biological mechanisms (Carver and Miller, 2006, Zuckerman, 1995). In addition, emotional experiences (which affect body odor, as demonstrated by, for example, Ackerl et al., 2002, Chen and Haviland-Jones, 2000) characteristic of some personality profiles might influence body odor to such an extent that it can be smelled by others. Moreover, Havlicek, Roberts, and Flegr (2005) and Rantala, Eriksson, Vainikka, and Kortet (2006) showed that individual dominance is related to the attractiveness of one’s scent. Thus, it seems likely that initial impressions regarding the personalities of others are influenced by the information inferred from their body odor and/or its attractiveness.

The aforementioned studies suggest that it could be possible to assess some traits of personality on the basis of facial pictures or body odor. In this study I analyzed the accuracy of assessments of personality on the basis of facial pictures alone, body odor alone, and facial pictures and body odor together. In addition, I analyzed the possible effect of attractiveness. In the previous study regarding body odor (Sorokowska et al., 2012), the only traits judged accurately were neuroticism, extraversion and dominance; thus, the judges in the present study rated only these dimensions. Because males and females differ in body odor intensity (Chen & Haviland-Jones, 1999) and olfactory abilities (Doty & Cameron, 2009), I performed the analyses separately for men and women (as targets and raters).