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While several studies have examined how particular personality traits are related to dopamine D 2/3 receptor (D 2/3 R) availability in the striatum of humans, few studies have reported how multiple traits measured in the same persons are differentially related to D 2/3 R availability in different striatal sub-regions. We examined how personality traits measured with the Karolinska Scales of Personality are related to striatal D 2/3 R availability measured with [ 11 C]-raclopride in 30 healthy humans. Based on previous the literature, five personality traits were hypothesized to be most likely related to D 2/3 R availability: impulsiveness, monotony avoidance, detachment, social desirability, and socialization. We found self-reported impulsiveness was negatively correlated with D 2/3 R availability in the ventral striatum and globus pallidus. After controlling for age and gender, monotony avoidance was also negatively correlated with D 2/3 R availability in the ventral striatum and globus pallidus. Socialization was positively correlated with D 2/3 R availability in the ventral striatum and putamen. After controlling for age and gender, the relationship between socialization and D 2/3 R availability in these regions survived correction for multiple comparisons ( p -threshold=.003). Thus, within the same persons, different personality traits are differentially related to in vivo D 2/3 R availability in different striatal sub-regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to provide validity evidence for the scores from the Romantic Relationship Perfectionism Scale. Results indicate a two-factor structure, adequate reliability, and overall good convergent, concurrent, discriminant, and incremental validity evidence. The strengths and limitations of this measure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender expression varies considerably among lesbian and bisexual women and may be related to various stressors and health outcomes. However, no current measure adequately assesses gender expression in this community. Thus, the authors conducted three studies to develop and validate the Gender Expression Measure among Sexual Minority Women (GEM-SMW). First, an initial item pool was evaluated in 3 focus groups with 23 women identifying as butch, femme, or neither. Second, responses from 459 lesbian and bisexual women who completed the revised items as part of an online survey were subject to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), validating 15 items comprising 3 distinct factors assessing appearance, gender roles, and emotional expression. Third, the final model was replicated with a separate online sample of 1,381 lesbian and bisexual women, and measurement invariance (MI) testing demonstrated the stability of the GEM-SMW’s factor structure. The GEM-SMW allows researchers to investigate gender expression without requiring participants to specify a gender identity (e.g., butch/femme). It is one of the first gender expression instruments developed specifically for lesbian and bisexual women, yet items may also be applicable for heterosexual women. Finally, the GEM-SMW provides opportunities to investigate the relation of gender expression with other constructs of interest such as identity development, stress, coping, and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correlational research investigating the relationship between scores on self-report imagery questionnaires and measures of social desirable responding has shown only a weak association. However, researchers have argued that this research may have underestimated the size of the relationship because it relied primarily on the Marlowe-Crowne scale (MC; Crowne & Marlowe, Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 349-354, ), which loads primarily on the least relevant form of social desirable responding for this particular context, the moralistic bias. Here we report the analysis of data correlating the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ; Marks, Journal of Mental Imagery, 19, 153-166, ) with the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR; Paulhus, ) and the MC scale under anonymous testing conditions. The VVIQ correlated significantly with the Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE) and Agency Management (AM) BIDR subscales and with the MC. The largest correlation was with SDE. The ability of SDE to predict VVIQ scores was not significantly enhanced by adding either AM or MC. Correlations between the VVIQ and BIDR egoistic scales were larger when the BIDR was continuously rather than dichotomously scored. This analysis indicates that the relationship between self-reported imagery and social desirable responding is likely to be stronger than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research highlighting the role sexual selection may play in the evolution of human cooperation has yet to distinguish what qualities such behaviours actually signal. The aim here was to examine whether female preferences for male cooperative behaviours are because they signal genetic or indirect phenotypic quality. This was possible by taking into account female participants' stage of menstrual cycle, as much research has shown that females at the most fertile stage show greater preferences specifically for signals of genetic quality than any other stage, particularly for short-term relationships. Therefore, different examples of cooperation (personality, costly signals, heroism) and the mate preferences for altruistic traits self-report scale were used across a series of four experiments to examine females' attitudes towards cooperation in potential mates for different relationship lengths at different stages of the menstrual cycle. The results here consistently show that female fertility had no effect on perceptions of cooperative behaviour, and that such traits were considered more important for long-term relationships. Therefore, this provides strong evidence that cooperative behaviour is important in mate choice as predominantly a signal of phenotypic rather than genetic quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the reliability and validity of three self-report questionnaires measuring the early emotional bond between a mother and her newborn infant: the Maternal Postpartum Attachment Scale (MPAS), the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) and the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS). In a monocentric prospective observational cohort study, 263 mothers completed the MPAS, the PBQ and the MIBS at 8-12 and at 20-25 weeks postpartum. The participants also completed measures of mental health and, during their pregnancy, measures of recalled parental bonding, adult romantic attachment, antenatal attachment and social desirability. In our study, the internal reliabilities of the PBQ and the MPAS were high at 8-12 weeks postpartum but dropped significantly at 20-25 weeks postpartum. Moderately strong correlations between the scales of the PBQ, the MPAS and the MIBS supported their construct validity. Further, weak correlations were found with social desirability and adult attachment representations, whereas moderate correlations were found with antenatal feelings of attachment and antenatal attitudes to motherhood. Finally, maternal feelings of bonding were also moderately associated with maternal mood. Overall, our findings suggest that the MPAS, the PBQ and the MIBS provide a reliable and valid indication of the early emotional tie between a woman and her newborn infant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: To assess the effect of inability to read on a five-point Likert scale, using the WHOQOL-BREF response scale. It is hypothesized that inability to read is related to loss of discriminant power among the five-category response scale. Study Design and Setting: In a cross-sectional design, nonreaders (n =141) and subjects educated at a graduate level (n −907) were assessed. Statistical analyses combined classic and modern psychometric approaches (Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis). Results: There is a remarkable difference in the psychometric performance of items across the two subgroups. Fit indexes proved to be closer to the ideal for the graduate group, but not for the nonreader group. Reducing the number of response categories improved the model exclusively for the nonreader sample. Nonreaders do not interpret the scale as a true five-category scale, but exhibit a response pattern indicative that only three categories are in fact considered. Conclusion: These results confirm the hypothesis that a multiple-category response scale is not suitable for nonreaders. They suggest that a simpler response scale should be adopted to achieve a more reliable and satisfactory psychometric performance in this population. This effect seems to be stronger when more abstract and subjective constructs are involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The author used Rasch measurement to examine the reliability and validity of 382 Korean university students' scores on the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS; D. P. Crowne & D. Marlowe, 1960). Results revealed that item-fit statistics and principal component analysis with standardized residuals provide evidence of MCSDS's unidimensionality. Six (of 33) items displayed differential item functioning for gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to adapt the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale to the Greek language. The validity and reliability of the scale were examined in three studies with 209, 192, and 147 sixth-grade students, respectively. The subscale structure of the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale was supported through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The hypothesized two main dimensions, Prosocial and Antisocial behavior, were divided into two factors, Cooperating skills and Empathy for Prosocial behavior and Quick-temperedness and Disruptiveness for Antisocial behavior. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were high. Additionally, correlations between each factor and social desirability scores were nonsignificant. The resultant model of the present study is a behavior rating scale that should be considered a reliable choice for assessing Greek middle school students' social skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective in this study was to identify the psychosocial characteristics of participants who obtained a high social desirability score on the measures in the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Aging (QUELSA). Two groups were drawn from the 1997 QUELSA sample (n = 780) according to scores obtained on a social desirability scale (high or low). These two groups were compared on scores obtained on the main psychosocial variables of the QUELSA. The results show that individuals who give desirable responses tend to obtain higher scores on instruments measuring “self-image” features. Consequences of this bias are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scales designed to measure attitudes toward changing sex roles are vulnerable to the effects of social desirability. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in this vulnerability or fakeability between an older scale, the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) and a more current scale, the Bias in Attitudes Survey (BIAS) Results suggest that, when asked to do so, females are able to present themselves as liberal or conservative on either scale. Males can manipulate the concepts of the AWS as directed, but are less able to do so with the concepts on the BIAS. Implications for the measurement of sex-role attitudes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study concerning the correlations incurred between Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scales and scores on Social Desirability scale to interpret the results of research regarding the problem of the social desirability hypothesis in personality assessment. For the social desirability hypothesis, the author considered the study concerning the relationship between the probability of endorsement of a personality statement and the social desirability scale value of the statement. The relationship between probability of item endorsement and social desirability scale value, as well as the acquiescence hypothesis were presented.

The article provides information on a study which investigated interrelationships among different measures of anxiety and the relationships of these anxiety measures to intellectual performance. The personality tests administered to subjects are true-false test anxiety scale (TA), Bendig's 20-item version of the Taylor Manifest Anxiety scale, Lack of Protection scale and Edward's Social Desirability scale. These variables and 13 measures of intellectual performance were intercorrelated. It was concluded that although all correlations between anxiety and intellectual measures were small, there was a consistent, significant tendency for TA to correlate negatively with the intellectual measures.

The article examines various literature and publications relating to the analysis of the substantive components of personality. It mentions several studies on the correlation between a well conceived scale of social desirability and tendency to agree. Other research suggested evidence on the tendency to agree with some degree of indiscriminateness on personality and attitude.

The article investigates the relationship between probability of item endorsement and social desirability (SD) scale value for high and low groups. Predictions as to the nature of the regression of probability of endorsement on SD scale values for high, middle and low SD groups were based on an acquiescence and a social desirability interpretation of the SD scale. The form of the regression lines was that forecasted by the social desirability interpretation of the SD scale, rather than that predicted by the acquiescence interpretation.

The article focuses on the study which aims to determine the relationship between probability of endorsement and social desirability scale value to be found when subjects made their assessments anonymously. To test, 67 female and 66 male students were asked to fill up the 128-item Interpersonal Check List developed by staff members of the Kaiser Foundation Research Project in Psychology. The probability of endorsement of each item was then compared against the previously determined social desirability scale value of the item. After data analysis, it was concluded that anonymity could produce more frank evaluation. Answers derived through anonymous conditions are likewise considered to be less related to the social desirability scale values of the statements.

The article focuses on the positive correlation between the social desirability scale value of a personality item and the probability of endorsement of the item. It states that the finding has been confirmed in a number of other investigations. However, the relationship between the social desirability scale value and the probability of endorsement of a personality item has resulted in the concept of a socially desirable response to a personality item. A socially desirable response is a True response to a personality item with a socially desirable scale value or a False response to a personality item with a socially undesirable scale value.