Assessing the Social Value of Personality Information

Abstract

Interpersonal interactions are often based on information obtained about others, and in particular information about personality. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that personality information has some value. The purpose of this study was to examine the assignment of value to information based on the 5 dimensions generally defined as the constituent features of human personality. The Big Five questionnaire was used to examine the value assigned by 180 participants to each dimension based on the two dimensions of value: social desirability and social utility. The study found that information is considered to be more desirable and useful than undesirable and pernicious and that even undesirable information is generally considered useful. Variations were also observed according to the considered dimension and the pole (positive or negative) to which the information refers.