Item popularity and social desirability in the MMPI

Abstract

While the popularity of an item is partially a function of its judged social desirability (SD), reliable item preferences also occur which are independent of a general SD variable and which in some cases may have greater predictive power. 4 analyses showed: (1) The proportion of true responses to MMPI items obtained from 10 disparate groups contained 40%-52% common variance on the average across items classed as very desirable, desirable, neutral, undesirable, and very undesirable. (2) With SD controlled, intergroup partial rs were all significant (<.001) and averaged .63. When item preferences were held constant, correlation of group profiles with SD averaged -.40. (3) Squared beta weights from multiple-regression equations employing group profiles and SD values as predictors of other group profiles were significantly larger for the item preference variable than for SD in all but 1 instance. (4) Residuals resulting from subtraction of variance attributable to item preferences from appropriate multiple Rs were significantly smaller than those obtained by removal of variance attributable to SD in all but 1 case. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)