Motivational context and socially desirable responding: a test of Paulhus' model of social desirability

Löw, Ajana. (2009). Motivational context and socially desirable responding: a test of Paulhus' model of social desirability. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Galić, Zvonimir].

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the basic assumptions of Paulhus' model of social desirability by analysing the differences in response distortion depending on motivational context. The study was conducted on convenience sample of participants, students and newly graduates (N = 384). To assess the dimensions of Paulhus' model, we used A Comprehensive Inventory of Desirable Responding, which represents an operationalization of the model. Every participant completed the questionnaire both in a situation of honest responding and in a “fake good” situation. In the latter situation, participants were randomly divided into four different motivational contexts depending on the content of given instructions and the presence of faking warning. Our results provide weak support for the model. Scales that measure conscious as well as those that measure unconscious distortion show sensitiveness to increase of motivation for favorable self presentation. Faking warning has lowered response distortion both in situation of honest responding and “fake good” situation and has equally affected impression management and self-deception scales. Assumed content differences of the components of social desirability were only partially confirmed. It seems that present operationalization of Paulhus’ model doesn’t provide an answer to the problem regarding nature of socially desirable responding.

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