Socially desirable responding: Enhancement and denial in 20 countries

• Main Authors: HE, Jia, van de Vijver, F.J., Espinosa, A.D., Abubakar, A., Dimitrova, R., Adams, B.G., REB, Jochen, SIM, Samantha
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: social desirability; cultures; values; personality; multilevel analysis; Multicultural Psychology; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/4363; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/5362/viewcontent/SociallyDesirableResponding_2015.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This article investigated the dimensionality, measurement invariance, and cross-cultural variations of social desirability. A total of 3,471 university students from 20 countries completed an adapted version of the Marlowe–Crowne scale. A two-dimensional structure was revealed in the pooled sample, distinguishing enhancement (endorsement of positive self-description) and denial (rejection of negative self-description). The factor structure was supported in most countries; medium-sized item bias was found in two denial items. In a multilevel analysis, we found that (a) there was more cross-cultural variation in denial than enhancement; (b) females tended to score higher on enhancement whereas males tended to score higher on denial; (c) the Human Development Index, an indicator of country socioeconomic development, was the best (negative) predictor of denial; and (d) both enhancement and denial seemed to be associated with country-level values and personality pertinent to “fitting in.” We conclude that social desirability has a positive and a negative impression management dimension that are meaningfully associated with country-level characteristics, and we argue that social desirability is better interpreted as culturally regulated response amplification.