Tell me a story and I will tell you who you are! Lens model analyses of personality and creative writing

We elucidated the accuracy of personality judgments based on creative writing by means of lens model analyses. Targets (N = 79) wrote short stories with five predefined words. Observers rated the Big Five dimensions and general knowledge of the targets who wrote these stories. Three main findings were revealed: (a) the Big Five and general knowledge were consensually judged by observers; (b) judgments of openness to experience, agreeableness, and general knowledge were accurate; and (c) accuracies were achieved due to the correct usage of valid cues. Additionally, we replicated all results in a second sample of targets (N = 126). Results are discussed in comparison to other areas of personality judgment research.