Socially Desirable Responding: Enhancement and Denial in 20 Countries. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Jia; van de Vijver, Fons J. R.; Dominguez Espinosa, Alejandra; Abubakar, Amina; Dimitrova, Radosveta; Adams, Byron G.; Aydinli, Arzu; Atitsogbe, Kokou; Alonso-Arbiol, Itziar; Bobowik, Magdalena; Fischer, Ronald; Jordanov, Venzislav; Mastrotheodoros, Stefanos; Neto, Félix; Ponizovsky, Yael J.; Reb, Jochen; Sim, Samantha; Sovet, Laurent; Stefenel, Delia; Suryani, Angela O.; Tair, Ergyul; Villieux, Arnaud
• Is Part Of: Cross-cultural research. Volume 49:Number 3(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 227
• Page End: 249
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: social desirability -- cultures -- values -- personality -- multilevel analysis; Social sciences -- Periodicals; 300.72
• DOI: 10.1177/1069397114552781
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1069-3971

Abstract

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.