Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping02:05

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

43.5K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
43.5K
Self-Presentation01:25

Self-Presentation

288
Self-presentation is a fundamental aspect of social interaction, shaping both how others perceive individuals and how they view themselves. This dynamic process influences behaviors in various social settings, often leading people to adjust their appearance, speech, and demeanor to align with their desired identity. While self-presentation can be deliberate or unconscious, it plays a critical role in interpersonal relationships and self-perception.Forms of Self-PresentationSelf-presentation can...
288
Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification01:17

Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification

171
Self-verification is a fundamental psychological drive wherein individuals seek affirmation of their self-concept from others, striving for consistency between their internal self-view and external perceptions. This drive operates even when the self-concept is negative, influencing interpersonal behavior and feedback preferences in complex and often counterintuitive ways. Unlike the self-enhancement motive, which seeks positive evaluations, self-verification prioritizes coherence and...
171
Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring01:24

Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring

197
Self-monitoring is a central construct in understanding individual differences in self-presentation strategies across social contexts. It refers to how individuals observe, regulate, and control their expressive behavior and self-presentation following situational cues. Self-monitoring reflects a person's sensitivity to social appropriateness and willingness to adapt behavior to fit varying interpersonal demands.High vs. Low Self-Monitoring IndividualsIndividuals high in self-monitoring are...
197
Protecting Self-Esteem01:27

Protecting Self-Esteem

196
Self-esteem, a central component of psychological well-being, is actively maintained through various cognitive and behavioral strategies. Individuals employ specific mechanisms to preserve a positive self-concept and mitigate threats to their self-worth, particularly in contexts involving social evaluation or personal feedback. Four primary techniques are commonly used to sustain self-esteem.Manipulating AppraisalsOne prominent strategy involves manipulating appraisals from others. Individuals...
196
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

18.9K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
18.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

State impulsivity and substance use: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Who makes a more consistent first impression? Examining the structure and correlates of dissensus.

Journal of personality·2023
Same author

Thirty Years of Psychological Wisdom Research: What We Know About the Correlates of an Ancient Concept.

Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science·2022
Same author

Bridging development and disturbance: A translational approach to the study of identity.

Personality disorders·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.4K

The Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Presentational Defensiveness Scale.

Chris Sciberas1, Marc A Fournier1

  • 1University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Personality Assessment
|September 9, 2025
PubMed
Summary

The new 10-item Self-Presentational Defensiveness Scale (SPDS) reliably measures how people avoid personal accountability. This scale is a valid tool for assessing self-presentational defensiveness in psychological research.

More Related Videos

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

9.0K
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

19.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.4K
Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

9.0K
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

19.0K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Personality Psychology

Background:

  • Defensive functioning is a key concept in psychoanalytic, humanistic, and cybernetic theories.
  • Existing measures of defensive functioning may lack sufficient item observability.
  • Self-presentational defensiveness, characterized by a lack of personal accountability, warrants a dedicated measurement tool.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish the psychometric structure and initial validation of the Self-Presentational Defensiveness Scale (SPDS).
  • To develop a concise, reliable, and valid measure of self-presentational defensiveness.
  • To investigate the convergent and discriminant validity of the SPDS.

Main Methods:

  • Four studies with a total of 1,634 participants were conducted.
  • Item-level observability was assessed for an initial 20-item SPDS.
  • Psychometric structure was explored, and the final 10-item SPDS was validated, including measurement invariance and convergent/discriminant validity analyses.

Main Results:

  • The 10-item SPDS demonstrated robust psychometric properties and a clear factor structure.
  • Item content was rated as more observable than other defensiveness measures.
  • The SPDS showed measurement invariance across gender and rating types, with substantial self-other agreement (r = .42).
  • Preliminary evidence supported convergent and discriminant validity through correlations with related constructs like neuroticism.

Conclusions:

  • The SPDS is a reliable and valid measure of self-presentational defensiveness.
  • Self-presentational defensiveness is associated with a reduced tendency to accept personal accountability for negative self-relevant information.
  • The SPDS offers a valuable tool for researchers studying defensive functioning and personality.