One hundred and forty four college subjects were divided into twelve groups on the basis of the score on a measure of need for social approval (high and low) and a measure of connotative meaning of the concept 'hippie’ (positive, negative, and neutral). By instituting two reinforcement conditions in a Taffel type of verbal conditioning task, these twelve groups of subjects were positively reinforced on a 100% reinforcement schedule, either congruently or lncongruently with their initial meaning of hippie (2 x 2 x 3 factorial design). The reinforcing stimulus was the experimenter's saying "Good" or "Fine" for a negative or positive description of hippie, depending upon the reinforcement conditions. It was hypothesized that subjects with a high need for social approval would show a greater conditioning performance than subjects with a low need for social approval. It was also hypothesized that subjects who received reinforcement congruently with their meaning of hippie would show a greater increase in the conditioning performance than subjects who received reinforcement lncongruently with their meaning of hippie. The data showed that there was no systematic difference in the conditioning performance between subjects with a high and low need for social approval as measured by the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. In addition, the need variable did not significantly interact either with the meaning, the reinforcement condition, or the block level of the conditioning trials. However, subjects who were reinforced congruently with their meaning of hippie showed significantly greater increase in the conditioning performance as compared to those who were reinforced incongruently with their meaning of hippie. In fact, subjects who received incongruent reinforcement failed to demonstrate any consistent changes in the rate of response emission during the conditioning period. Subjects with a neutral meaning of hippie showed a conditioning performance greater than the incongruently reinforced groups, but less than the congruently reinforced groups in both reinforcement conditions. The results were interpreted as indicating the importance of the condition under which subjects receive reinforcement—congruent or incongruent reinforcement—in determining responsivity toward socially reinforcing stimuli. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

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Social desirability has been offered as an explanation for observed self-reported levels of substance use within specific populations (i.e., inpatient, court referred) and it has been identified as a possible threat to the validity of self-report prevalence studies, but it has not been tested as a variable that could be manipulated to directly affect reporting. The present study assessed the effects of a simple social desirability manipulation on self-report of substance use. Participants consisted of 389 late adolescents aged 18 to 25 who were enrolled at a large southeastern university. Results indicate that presenting a drug as socially desirable does not lead participants to report higher levels of substance use. Furthermore, participants reported that peer reports, rather than their own, were more often distorted on the present study. The results have implications for enhancing procedures for both clinicians and social scientists who survey youth about substance use.

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Individuals responding in a socially desirable (SD) fashion, rather than in a manner that reflects their true behavior, has been a problem for self-report questionnaires since their inception. The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that the probability an item is endorsed on a self-report measure of anger is directly proportional to the rated SD of that item. Eighty-two subjects completed the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI), the Profile of Moods State (POMS), and the State- Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI). A probability of endorsement was computed for each of the measures' items. Twenty additional subjects rated the measures' items for SD. Each item's SD rating was paired with the probability the item was endorsed to produce a correlation coefficient for each measure. Results strongly support the stated hypothesis. Directions for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether number of responses is related to the social desirability and intensity of the test items. 61 Ss were administered the Interpersonal Check List and the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale. From the Interpersonal Check List number of responses, average item intensity and average item social desirability were calculated. Average item social desirability was calculated from individual item social desirability values obtained from ratings by another, similar S group. The results showed that number of responses is negatively correlated with average item social desirability and positively correlated with average item intensity, as predicted. Social desirability and intensity are negatively correlated. Data pertaining to the Marlowe Crowne scale, a measure of the tendency of an individual S to respond in a socially desirable manner, were inconclusive. It is concluded that a S giving a low number of responses on the Interpersonal Check List is probably trying to create a good impression by refusing to endorse extreme or undesirable test items.

This study investigated sex differences and the relationship between need for approval and liberal-conservative attitudes regarding sex. The test measures used were the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-C SDS) and a questionnaire measuring liberal-conservative sexual attitudes taken from a research survey published in Psychology Today.

Yip Wing-yan, Rosanna. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-62). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.2 / ABSTRACT --- p.3 / Chapter CHAPTER I: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.8 / The Conceptualization of Social Desirability Responding --- p.9 / Controversy on the Effect of Social Desirability Responding --- p.11 / Methods to Control Social Desirability Responding --- p.12 / "Prevention, Reduction and Statistical Control of Social Desirability Responding" --- p.13 / Measurement of Social Desirability Responding --- p.16 / The Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory --- p.20 / The Good Impression Scale of the CPAI --- p.21 / The Present Study --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER II: --- STUDY 1 --- p.24 / Method --- p.24 / Respondents --- p.24 / Instruments --- p.24 / Analysis --- p.25 / Results --- p.26 / Discussion --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER III: --- STUDY 2 --- p.33 / Method --- p.34 / Respondents --- p.34 / Instruments --- p.35 / Procedure --- p.35 / Analysis --- p.36 / Results --- p.38 / Discussion --- p.48 / Chapter CHAPTER IV: --- STUDY 3 --- p.51 / Method --- p.51 / Respondents --- p.51 / Instruments and Procedure --- p.51 / Analysis --- p.52 / Results --- p.52 / Discussion --- p.53 / Chapter CHAPTER V: --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.54 / Limitations --- p.55 / Further Research --- p.56 / Conclusion --- p.56 / REFERENCES --- p.58 / APPENDIX A: ITEM LABEL AND CONTENT OF THE GIM --- p.63 / APPENDIX B: ITEM LABEL AND CONTENT OF THE GIM-2 --- p.64 / APPENDIX C: ITEM LABEL AND CONTENT OF THE BIDR --- p.65