Photographic style and personality: Developing a coding system for photographs

Taking photographs is a common activity in American life, and the use of photographs as stimuli is common in psychological research and therapy. In spite of this interest, however, few researchers have investigated the actual nature of this popular and widespread behavior. The present research is aimed at developing a coding system for photographic variables and at explaining the relationship between these variables and personality characteristics. Twenty-three male and female undergraduates each shot a 36-exposure roll of film on a college campus. The photographs were coded on seven content and four stylistic categories, and tested for inter-code reliability. A comparison of the photograph and personality variables indicated that the preferred content and style of the pictures was significantly associated with a wide range of personality traits.