Description

The Edwards Social Desirability Scale (SD) is a psychometric tool developed by Allen L. Edwards in 1957 to assess individuals’ tendency to present themselves in a socially desirable manner, regardless of their actual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. This scale is used to detect and control for social desirability in questionnaire responses, which can affect the validity of the data.

Purpose

The main purpose of the Edwards Social Desirability Scale is to measure social desirability, meaning the tendency of individuals to respond to questions in a way they believe will be accepted or desired by society. This scale is widely used in psychological research to ensure that questionnaire responses are not distorted by the desire of individuals to present themselves positively.

Analysis

The Edwards Social Desirability Scale consists of 39 statements that assess the tendency of individuals to present themselves in a socially desirable way. Participants are asked to answer each statement with “true” or “false,” depending on how much they agree or disagree with each statement. The statements include both positive and negative behaviors and characteristics.

Scoring

The total score is calculated by summing the responses that indicate socially desirable answers. Higher scores indicate a greater tendency toward social desirability in responses. The scoring can be used to adjust questionnaire analyses, ensuring that results are not influenced by individuals’ desire to present themselves positively.

References

Edwards, A. L. (1957). The Social Desirability Variable in Personality Assessment and Research. Dryden Press.
Paulhus, D. L. (1991). Measurement and control of response bias. In J. P. Robinson, P. R. Shaver, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes (pp. 17-59). San Diego: Academic Press.
Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24(4), 349-354.
Holden, R. R., & Fekken, G. C. (1989). Three common social desirability scales: Friends, acquaintances, or strangers? Journal of Research in Personality, 23(2), 180-191.
Reynolds, W. M. (1982). Development of reliable and valid short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38(1), 119-125.