Individual responses and social desirability

Abstract

SEVERAL INVESTIGATIONS INDICATE THAT, FOR THE AVERAGE S, ENDORSEMENT OF PERSONALITY INVENTORY ITEMS HAS ONLY A LOW TO MODERATE CORRELATION WITH SOCIAL DESIRABILITY (SD), UNLIKE THE CASE WHEN PROBABILITY OF ENDORSEMENT BY A GROUP IS RELATED TO DESIRABILITY. THESE STUDIES HAVE USED POINT-BISERIAL CORRELATION FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE PRODUCT-MOMENT COEFFICIENT FOR THE GROUP. WHEN A SINGLE S'S RESPONSES ARE ANALYZED IN A WAY THAT PERMITS ESTIMATION OF PROBABILITY OF ENDORSEMENT, THE PRODUCT-MOMENT CORRELATION BETWEEN THIS PROBABILITY AND SD TYPICALLY IS HIGH, APPROACHING MUCH CLOSER TO THE GROUP VALUE. HIGH AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL CORRELATION BETWEEN ENDORSEMENT AND DESIRABILITY DOES NOT PREVENT A DIAGNOSTIC SCALE FROM DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN DISPARATE GROUPS. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)