Social Desirability Amongst Chinese Teachers

Area of Science:

• Psychological Measurement
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Self-reported survey data can be influenced by social desirability bias.
• The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS) is used to assess this bias.
• Previous validation studies of the MC-SDS, particularly the 13-item version, have yielded questionable results in certain populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of different forms of the MC-SDS using Rasch analysis.
• To determine the most reliable and valid measure of social desirability among the 33-item, 20-item, and 13-item MC-SDS versions.

Main Methods:

• Rasch dichotomous model analysis was applied to the 33-item, 20-item, and 13-item versions of the MC-SDS.
• Item overlap and overall measurement properties were assessed for each scale version.

Main Results:

• The original 33-item MC-SDS exhibited item overlap issues.
• The 20-item MC-SDS demonstrated a reasonably meaningful measure of social desirability.
• The 13-item MC-SDS lacked adequate item distribution and separation for meaningful measurement.

Conclusions:

• Researchers should critically examine the factor structure of the MC-SDS when implementing it in their studies.
• The 20-item MC-SDS appears to be a more psychometrically sound option than the 13-item version.
• Particular attention should be paid to scale validation across diverse cultural populations.