Social desirability bias

Social desirability bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to answer questions or behave in ways they perceive as being more socially acceptable, rather than being truthful or authentic. This often results in skewed data in surveys, interviews, and research, as people provide responses they believe will make them look favorable in the eyes of others.

How it works

This bias operates based on the human desire to be liked and accepted by others. When faced with questions, especially in social or evaluative contexts, individuals may consciously or unconsciously alter their responses to align with perceived social norms, values, or expectations.

Examples

In surveys about health behaviors, individuals might underreport smoking or overeating, believing these admissions could be viewed negatively. During job interviews, candidates often emphasize skills or experiences that align with culturally revered traits, even if these are not entirely accurate representations of their abilities.

Consequences

Social desirability bias can lead to inaccurate data collection, which in turn affects research findings, policy decisions, marketing strategies, and more. This bias can obscure genuine attitudes and behaviors, leading to flawed understanding and ineffective interventions.

Counteracting

To mitigate this bias, researchers can ensure confidentiality, use indirect questioning techniques such as the randomized response technique, or structure questions to minimize judgment. Additionally, employing methods like lie scales in surveys and diversifying question phrasing can help reduce the impact of this bias.

Critiques

Critics argue that the extent of social desirability bias may be overstated in some research circles, and that human authenticity varies significantly by context. Some also contend that overemphasis on social desirability bias might overlook other biases that can equally skew data.

Fields of Impact

Also known as

Relevant Research

• Two-component models of socially desirable responding.

  Paulhus, D. L. (1984)

  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

• Social desirability bias and the validity of indirect questioning.

  Fisher, R. J. (1993)

  Journal of Consumer Research

• Social desirability bias: A neglected aspect of validity testing.

  King, M. F., & Bruner, G. C. (2000)

  Psychology and Marketing