Social desirability bias

Social desirability bias is a type of cognitive bias whereby people tend to present themselves in a more favorable light when responding to surveys or other forms of assessment. It is driven by the desire to be liked or accepted by others, and can lead to responses that are not accurate or truthful, as respondents may be inclined to give the ‘right’ answer, rather than the honest one. As a result, managers should be aware of the potential for social desirability bias when interpreting survey results, and take steps to reduce the impact of this bias by making surveys anonymous and providing respondents with an option to opt out of certain questions.

Example of social desirability bias

• A classic example of social desirability bias is when people are asked how often they attend religious services. People may be inclined to over-report their attendance, in order to appear more religious, moral and virtuous.
• Another example is when people are asked whether they vote in elections. People may be more likely to say they do, even if they do not, as they may want to appear more engaged in the political process.
• A third example is when people are asked about their alcohol consumption. People may be more likely to under-report the amount of alcohol they drink, as they may want to appear more healthy, responsible and respectable.
• A fourth example is when people are asked about their charitable donations. People may be more likely to over-report the amount of money they donate, in order to appear more generous and altruistic.

Formula of social desirability bias

Social desirability bias can be described as the tendency of individuals to present themselves in a favorable light, by either exaggerating their abilities and accomplishments, or minimizing their shortcomings. This can lead to skewed results when conducting surveys and other forms of assessment.

In order to measure the impact of social desirability bias, researchers often use the Bem Social Desirability Scale (BSDS). This scale uses a series of 40 questions to measure the extent to which a person is likely to respond to survey items in a socially desirable manner. The BSDS consists of two subscales, the Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE) subscale and the Impression Management (IM) subscale. Each subscale consists of 20 true/false questions.

The Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE) subscale measures the extent to which an individual is likely to present themselves in an overly positive light. Examples of items from this subscale include “I always try to be fair to everyone” and “I often act without thinking.”

The Impression Management (IM) subscale measures the extent to which an individual is likely to present themselves in an overly negative light in order to appear modest and unobtrusive. Examples of items from this subscale include “I often exaggerate my own abilities” and “I never say anything that might hurt someone’s feelings.”

The BSDS is scored on a scale of 0 – 40, with higher scores indicating a higher level of social desirability bias. Scores of 0 – 8 indicate low levels of social desirability bias, scores of 9 – 15 indicate moderate levels of social desirability bias, and scores of 16 or higher indicate high levels of social desirability bias.

Types of social desirability bias

Social desirability bias is a cognitive bias whereby people tend to present themselves in a more favorable light when responding to surveys or other forms of assessment. There are several different types of social desirability bias which can affect survey results, including:

• Acquiescence Bias: Respondents often agree with the statements given in surveys, regardless of whether they actually agree with them or not. This can lead to inflated responses and an inaccurate representation of opinions.
• Self-Reporting Bias: People often report more positive opinions about themselves than is actually true. This can lead to inflated scores for questions about self-esteem and confidence.
• Halo Effect Bias: This occurs when a respondent's response to one question influences their response to other questions. For example, if a respondent is satisfied with the overall service they received, they may give a more positive response to questions about specific aspects of the service.
• Priming Effect Bias: This occurs when the order of questions in a survey influences the responses given. For example, if a survey begins with a question about a respondent's satisfaction with the service they received, this may influence their response to subsequent questions.

Steps of dealing with social desirability bias

Social desirability bias can be addressed by taking the following steps:

• Ensure surveys are anonymous: When conducting surveys, it is important to make them anonymous, so that respondents feel comfortable expressing their true opinions without fear of judgement or repercussion.
• Provide respondents with an option to opt out of certain questions: This will give respondents the opportunity to avoid answering questions they feel uncomfortable with, while still providing valuable feedback on other topics.
• Ask open-ended questions: Open-ended questions give respondents more freedom to express their true thoughts and feelings, rather than being limited to a pre-determined set of answers.
• Give respondents multiple response options: Multiple response options will allow respondents to better express their opinion by giving them more options to choose from.
• Ask questions in a neutral way: Be conscious of how questions are worded, as certain phrasing can influence how respondents answer.
• Avoid leading questions: Avoid asking questions that suggest a certain response, as this could lead to skewed results.

Advantages of social desirability bias

Social desirability bias can be beneficial in some circumstances as it encourages people to answer in a way that is socially accepted and perceived as ‘right’. The following are some of the advantages of this bias:

• It can help to create a positive image of the respondent, as they may feel more comfortable giving the ‘right’ answer rather than the honest one.
• It encourages people to be polite and respectful in their responses, which can lead to more harmonious and productive relationships.
• It can help to reduce bias in the survey results, as people may be more likely to answer honestly when the question is not seen as a personal judgment.
• It can also reduce the risk of survey fatigue, as people are more likely to complete the survey if they feel they are giving the ‘right’ answer.

Limitations of social desirability bias

Social desirability bias can have a significant impact on survey results, making it difficult to assess the accuracy of responses. Some of the limitations of social desirability bias include:

• Loss of accuracy: Respondents may be more likely to give the ‘right’ answer rather than the honest one, leading to results that are not accurate.
• Loss of credibility: The accuracy and reliability of survey results may be diminished due to the potential for false responses.
• Lack of self-awareness: Respondents may be unaware of their own biases and how their responses may be impacted by them.
• Lack of control: As surveys are usually anonymous, it is difficult to control the impact of social desirability bias.
• Unintended consequences: Respondents may be unaware of the implications of their answers, leading to unintended consequences.

Social desirability bias — recommended articles

Leniency error — Sample selection bias — Interviewer bias — Group conformity — Common method bias — Analysis paralysis — Stress interview — Fishbein model — Reliability of information

References

• Grimm, P. (2010). Social desirability bias. Wiley international encyclopedia of marketing.
• Krumpal, I. (2013). Determinants of social desirability bias in sensitive surveys: a literature review. Quality & quantity, 47(4), 2025-2047.