Socially Desirable Responding and the Measurement of Violent and Criminal Risk: Self-Report Validity

ABSTRACT

Socially desirable responding (SDR) is considered a threat to the validity of offenders' self-report. The purpose of this study was to examine the threat of SDR to construct validity and predictive validity. Participants included 76 male offenders in custody with sentences between 2 and 6 years. Measures included rating scales, self-report measures, and post-release measures. Results of regression analysis indicated that SDR did not negatively impact the construct or predictive validity of self-reports.

KEYWORDS:

• Social desirability
• offender self-report
• prediction of violence
• assessment