Grammar matters: The tainting effect of grammar usage errors on judgments of competence and character.

Abstract The human tendency to judge another person's personality traits can be prompted by as little as a snapshot of that person, and such judgments can have consequences for future interactions (Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid, 1977). We tested the hypothesis that people make judgments about others' personality traits – particularly those desired by employers – on the basis of their written grammar usage. In the study, community adults read a hypothetical job application cover letter and then rated the applicant on a variety of dimensions. Unbeknownst to the participants, there were three cover letters that held the same content but differed in their rate of surface-level grammar usage errors (no errors; an average error rate of 2/100 words; or a high error rate of 4/100 words). Participants who read a letter that contained grammar usage errors downgraded the applicant's writing as well as their standing on personality traits such as capable, hard-working, and team-oriented. The effects were consistent and imply that people should attend to their grammar usage if they want to make a positive first impression. We propose that the effects we documented are due to actual associations between the quality of individuals' grammar competence and their conscientiousness and intelligence. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Poor grammar usage may signal deficits in competence and character. • Common grammar usage errors negatively affect judgments of a person's writing skills. • Grammar usage errors also negatively affect judgments of the writer's personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]