Approval Motive and Acceptance of “Fake” Personality Test Interpretations which Differ in Favorability

Abstract

The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability (M-C SD) scale has been interpreted as measuring a need for social approval and then, more recently, as a measure of vulnerable self-esteem. The present study placed Ss in a situation where gaining approval from the psychologist required accepting unfavorable personality test interpretations as personally characteristic of them when acceptance would lower their self-esteem. High-scoring Ss on the M-C SD scale were more likely to accept favorable but less likely to accept unfavorable “fake” personality test interpretations from the psychologist than were the low scoring Ss on M-C SD.