Relationship Between Social Desirability Scale Value and Probability of Endorsement for Responses in Social Situations

Abstract

Sixty-nine responses to the cartoons in the Rosenzweig P-F Study were shown separately to two groups. One group of 97 Ss rated each response on a 9-point scale of social desirability; a second group of 113 Ss indicated whether or not they themselves would make the response. The ratings on social desirability of the 69 responses were highly reliable. Secondly, there was a significant positive correlation between the social desirability scale value of a response and the per cent of Ss saying they would make that response. It is concluded that, as with items in personality tests, responses in social situations can be reliably evaluated in terms of social desirability and that such evaluations are associated with the probability of endorsement of these responses.