Vazire, S. (2010). Who knows what about a person? The self–other knowledge asymmetry (SOKA) model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(2), 281-300.

The authors in this article evaluate a new model for predicting which personality traits are best appraised by the individual and which are best judged by others. Previous studies indicate an asymmetry in the precision of personality evaluations: Some personality characteristics are better known to the self than others, and vice versa. According to the self–other knowledge asymmetry (SOKA) model described here, the self should be more accurate than others for traits with low observability (e.g., neuroticism), whereas others should be more accurate than the self for traits with high evaluativeness (e.g., intellect). In the present study, 165 participants supplied self-ratings and were graded in a round-robin fashion by four friends and up to four strangers. The participants were subsequently given a series of behavioral tests, from which criteria measures were constructed. Consistent with SOKA model predictions, the self was the most accurate judge of neuroticism-related traits, whereas friends were the most accurate judges of intellect-related traits, and people from all viewpoints were equally accurate judges of extraversion-related features. It examines the theoretical and practical relevance of articulating this asymmetry.