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This is one of a series of excerpts from older articles put online by John Ray as a public service. The articles concerned are in general otherwise available only by special request to a University or other major library.

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Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1960, 24 (4), 349-354.

A NEW SCALE OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY INDEPENDENT OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY



Douglas P. Crowne

Ohio State University

and

David Marlowe

College of Medicine, University of Kentucky



TABLE 1

THE MARLOWE-CROWNE SOCIAL DESIRABILITY SCALE

Personal Reaction Inventory

Listed below are a number of statements cancerning personal attitudes and traits. Read each item and decide whether the statement is True or False as it pertains to you personally.

1. Before voting I thoroughly investigate the qualifications of all the candidates. (T)
2. I never hesitate to go out of my way to help someone in trouble. (T)
3. It is sometimes hard for me to go on with my work, if I am not encouraged. (F)
4. I have never intensely disliked anyone. (T)
5. On occasion I have had doubts about my ability to succeed in life. (F)
6. I sometimes feel resentful when I don't get my way. (F)
7. I am always careful about my manner of dress. (T)
8. My table manners at home are as good as when I eat out in a restaurant. (T)
9. If I could get into a movie without paying and be sure I was not seen, I would probably do it. (F)
10. On a few occasions, I have given up doing something because I thought too little of my ability. (F)
11. I like to gossip at times. (F)
12. There have been times when I felt like rebelling against people in authority even though I knew they were right. (F)
13. No matter who I'm talking to, I'm always a good listener. (T)
14. I can remember "playing sick" to get out of something. (F)
15. There have been occasions when I took advantage of someone. (F)
16. I'm always willing to admit it when I make a mistake. (T)
17. I always try to practice what I preach. (T)
18. I don't find it particularly difficult to get along with loud-mouthed, obnoxious people. (T)
19. I sometimes try to get even rather than forgive and fdrget. (F)
20. When I don't know something I don't at all mind admitting it. (T)
21. I am always courteous, even to people who are disagreeable. (T)
22. At times I have really insisted on having things my own way. (F)
23. There have been occasions when I felt like smashing things. (F)
24. I would never think of letting someone else be punished for my wrongdoings. (T)
25. I never resent being asked to return a favor. (T)
26. I have never been irked when people expressed ideas very different from my own. (T)
27. I never make a long trip without checking the safety of my car. (T)
28. There have been times when I was quite jealous of the good fortune of others. (F)
29. I have almost never felt the urge to tell someone off. (T)
30. I am sometimes irritated by people who ask favors of me. (F)
31. I have never felt that I was punished without cause. (T)
32. I sometimes think when people have a mistortune they only got what they deserved. (F)
33. I have never deliberately said something that hurt someone's feelings. (T)

NOTE BY JOHN RAY

Potential users of the above scale might want to consider criticisms such as the ones put forward by McCrae & Costa (1983) and, if they decide to go ahead, might find the short form of the scale given in Ray (1984) convenient. There is a partial reply to McCrae & Costa in Ray (1988).

References

McCrae, R.R. & Costa, P.T. (1983) Social Desirability Scales: More Substance Than Style. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Vol. 51, No. 6, 882-888

Ray, J.J. (1984) The reliability of short social desirability scales. Journal of Social Psychology, 123, 133-134. (See here or here ).

Ray, J.J. (1988) Lie scales and the elderly. Personality & Individual Differences, 9, 417-418. (See here or here ).






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