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Egoistic and Moralistic Self‐Enhancement in the Eye of the Beholder: A Cross‐Informant Study
Author(s) -
Vecchione Michele,
Alessandri Guido
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/jopy.12073
Subject(s) - psychology , trait , variance (accounting) , self enhancement , common method variance , confirmatory factor analysis , correlation , social psychology , explained variation , structural equation modeling , statistics , geometry , mathematics , accounting , computer science , business , programming language
Abstract This study was conceived to assess the agreement between self‐ and other reports of egoistic ( E ) and moralistic ( M ) self‐enhancement ( SE ). A self‐report scale assessing E ‐ SE and M ‐ SE was filled out by 304 participants (mean age = 39.11, SD = 10.12, 54% female). The scale, with items worded in third person, was also completed by 304 informants (one for each target participant). Data were subjected to a correlated‐traits correlated‐methods model. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded two distinct factors for both self‐ and other ratings of E ‐ SE and M ‐ SE . A significant correlation across raters was observed for each factor. Proportion of trait variance was .58 for E ‐ SE and .35 for M ‐ SE . Proportion of method variance was .24 and .41, respectively. E ‐ SE and M ‐ SE were substantially correlated within each data source. However, the two measures became orthogonal after method variance was partialed out. Measures of E ‐ SE and M ‐ SE include both trait and artifactual components of variance, which are likely to reflect individual differences in the style of self‐presentation and response bias (i.e., tendencies to exaggerate agentic and communal qualities). The trait components of E ‐ SE and M ‐ SE represent two unrelated tendencies that can be captured and distinguished not only through self‐judgments, but also by an external observer.