RESPONSE BIASES AND TRAIT DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES

Twenty subject response parameters, including scales to measure re- sponse reliability, content and acquiescence variance, social desirability, yea- and nay-saying, and extremeness response style were obtained for 88 college students, based on 89 pairs of adjecCives oppoSrite both in content and in social desirability. Test-retest item reversal methodology was used to evaluate the possible effects of these biases on responses to the trait-descriptive adjectives. Individual differences in response bias propensities were studied among the various subject response parameters, and in relation to scale scores from the 16 PF, MMPI, and CPI. The results supported a content rather than bias interpretation of the subjects' selfdescriptions for the adjectives. Additionally, no useful associations were found between measures of personality characteristics and response biases.