Social Desirability Bias

Imagine you’re at a park, watching a mother try in vain to calm down her child, who is in the midst of a tantrum. As the screaming continues, she turns to you, apologizing and insisting, “This is unlike him, he’s normally so well-behaved!” You assure her that it’s alright, though you recall a similar scene unfolding when the same mother and child visited the park just the week before.

The mother wants to present herself and her child in a socially acceptable way, even though the situation tells a different story. This is an example of social desirability bias (SDB), the tendency to present ourselves in a way that aligns with social expectations rather than revealing true behaviors or thoughts.

In this case, the overwhelmed mother wants to downplay her child's misbehavior to avoid negative judgment from others. SDB often leads people to exaggerate positive traits (like being well-behaved or successful) while glossing over negative ones (like fussiness or failure). This bias can influence personal interactions, research, surveys, and even public opinion, as people may not always share their true feelings or actions.

Understanding social desirability bias is crucial in fields like psychology, marketing, and public policy, where accurate self-reporting is necessary.¹ There are two types of SDB:

1. Self-deceptive enhancement: When a respondent genuinely believes themselves to possess a particular positive quality, when in reality their assessment is an over exaggeration. They respond to questions in a way that supports their embellished self-perception without being aware of it or deliberately trying to do so.² For example, a person may claim they always stay calm under pressure, genuinely believing it, even though they often get stressed. They unintentionally present themselves more positively without realizing the inconsistency with their actual behavior.
2. Impression management: When individuals intentionally present themselves in a positive light, often by emphasizing their good qualities and behaviors. This deliberate effort helps them align with social or group norms and avoid criticism or judgment.² For example, A teenager might claim they've never used drugs, despite having tried marijuana, to fit in with a group that disapproves and avoid negative judgment.