Distinguishing me from thee

Abstract

Subjects made self-descriptiveness and other-descriptiveness ratings for the same set of 120 trait adjectives representing three levels of likability. Uniquely descriptive items took longer for self-descriptiveness decisions than did items that were descriptive of both self and other. Although unique features may be spontaneously generated as descriptive of one's self before less distinctive features on unpaced tests, it appears that unique features are accessed more slowly. This result is more consistent with a view that sees trait distinctiveness as being computed rather than prestored.