Social Desirability Considerations in Separate Acquiescence Set and Content Scores

Abstract

The set score obtained by a procedure for computing separate set and content scores from self-descriptive responses to personality items was examined for confounding with the social desirability (SD) scale values of those items. Seven experimental scales of MMPI items were formed in which their SD characteristics were systematically varied. The set scores of 50 psychiatric patients on these scales were then computed. With one exception, the magnitudes and signs of the set scores obtained were predicted from SD considerations. The only evidence of a significant set score unconfounded with SD was found in a greater tendency to reject very socially undesirable items than to endorse very socially desirable items.