Being on top versus not dangling at the bottom: Popularity motivation and aggression in youth.

Whereas research on aggression and status motivation in youth has predominantly looked at a promotion focus (striving for popularity), a prevention focus (wanting to avoid low popularity) could also be an important determinant of aggression, as youth who fear low popularity may use strategic aggression to secure their position. The aim of the current study was to develop reliable measures for both popularity motivations, and examine how both motivations are uniquely and jointly related to aggression. Participants were 1123 Dutch secondary school students (M age = 14.4 years, 48% girls), who completed a 3-item measure of striving for high popularity based on existing questionnaires (Li & Wright, 2014; Ojanen et al., 2005), and a 3-item measure of avoiding low popularity consisting of an adapted version of the high popularity items. Aggressive behavior was measured through peer nominations. Motivations were moderately correlated (r = .51), but did not always co-occur within the same person, as 17% of the sample belonged to a cluster that scored low on striving for popularity, but moderately high on avoiding low popularity. When considered simultaneously, striving for high popularity was not related to any type of aggression, whereas avoiding affiliation with unpopular peers was related to strategic aggression. For physical and verbal aggression, gossiping, excluding and bullying, the association of avoiding low popularity with aggression was strongest when youth also strived for high popularity. Future work should take both popularity motivations into account to better understand, predict and intervene on youth's aggression toward peers.

The Role of Cultural Capital in Self-Reported Alexithymia and Empathy.

BACKGROUND: Sociocultural factors play an essential role in the way we process and express emotions. In this study, we asked whether Cultural Capital (CC)-the set of knowledge, cultural codes, and skills embodied by people-explains individual differences in two constructs measuring the capacity to understand our own emotions (alexithymia) or others' emotions (empathy). METHOD: A pre-registered survey was conducted with an Italian sample (N = 475). Alexithymia and empathy were assessed respectively via the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. RESULTS: Regression analyses confirmed a significant, although limited, role of CC in predicting alexithymia and empathy. People with higher CC showed lower Externally Oriented Thinking, higher Perspective Taking, and higher Fantasy. Self-reported alexithymia and empathy were also impacted by scores on a social desirability scale. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that i) Cultural Capital influences the ability to analyse one's own feelings and understand others' perspectives, and ii) social desirability threatens the validity of self-report measures of emotional abilities. Overall, this research underlines the importance of studying affective processes by considering an individual's cultural context.

Behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion in women: the role of facial attractiveness and friendliness.

The behavioral and neural responses to social exclusion were examined in women randomized to four conditions, varying in levels of attractiveness and friendliness. Informed by evolutionary theory, we predicted that being socially excluded by attractive unfriendly women would be more distressing than being excluded by unattractive women, irrespective of their friendliness level. Our results contradicted most of our predictions but provide important insights into women's responses to interpersonal conflict. Accounting for rejection sensitivity, P300 event-related potential amplitudes were largest when women were excluded by unattractive unfriendly women. This may be due to an expectancy violation or an annoyance with being excluded by women low on social desirability. An examination of anger rumination rates by condition suggests the latter. Only attractive women's attractiveness ratings were lowered in the unfriendly condition, indicating they were specifically punished for their exclusionary behavior. Women were more likely to select attractive women to compete against with one exception-they selected the Black attractive opponent less often than the White attractive opponent when presented as unfriendly. Finally, consistent with studies on retaliation in relation to social exclusion, women tended to rate competitors who rejected them as being more rude, more competitive, less attractive, less nice, and less happy than non-competitors. The ubiquity of social exclusion and its pointed emotional and physiological impact on women demands more research on this topic.

Psychometric assessment of the Runyankole-translated Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale among persons with HIV in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Social desirability can negatively affect the validity of self-reported measures, including underreporting of stigmatized behaviors like alcohol consumption. The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS) is widely implemented and comprised of Denial and Attribution Domains (i.e., tendencies to deny undesirable traits or attribute socially desirable traits to oneself, respectively). Yet, limited psychometric research has been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol consumption is high as well as religiosity and hierarchical social norms. To address this gap, we (a) conducted an exploratory study assessing certain psychometric properties of the 28-item SDS (Runyankole-translated) among persons with HIV (PWH) in Uganda, and (b) examined the relationship between social desirability and self-reported alcohol use. METHODS: We pooled baseline data (N = 1153) from three studies of PWH engaged in alcohol use from 2017 to 2021. We assessed the translated scale's construct validity (via confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency, item performance, differential item functioning by gender, concurrent validity with the DUREL religiosity index domains, and the association between social desirability and self-reported alcohol use. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 40.42 years, 63% were men, and 91% had an undetectable HIV viral load. The 28-item SDS had satisfactory construct validity (Model fit indices: RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.84, TLI = 0.82) and internal consistency (Denial Domain ΩTotal = 0.82, Attribution Domain ΩTotal = 0.69). We excluded Item 14 ("I never hesitate to help someone in trouble") from the Attribution Domain, which mitigated differential measurement error by gender and slightly improved the construct validity (Model fit indices: RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.86, TLI = 0.85) and reliability (Attribution Domain ΩTotal = 0.72) of the 27-item modified SDS. Using the 27-item SDS, we found that social desirability was weakly correlated with religiosity and inversely associated with self-reported alcohol use after adjusting for biomarker-measured alcohol use and other confounders (ß = -0.05, 95% confidence interval: -0.09 to -0.01, p-value = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: We detected and mitigated measurement error in the 28-item Runyankole-translated SDS, and found that the modified 27-item scale had satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency in our sample. Future studies should continue to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Runyankole-translated SDS, including retranslating Item 14 and reevaluating its performance.

Linking grandiose and vulnerable narcissism to managerial work performance, through the lens of core personality traits and social desirability.

While grandiose narcissism is well-studied, vulnerable narcissism remains largely unexplored in the workplace context. Our study aimed to compare grandiose and vulnerable narcissism among managers and people from the general population. Within the managerial sample, our objective was to examine how these traits diverge concerning core personality traits and socially desirable responses. Furthermore, we endeavored to explore their associations with individual managerial performance, encompassing task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Involving a pool of managerial participants (N = 344), we found that compared to the general population, managers exhibited higher levels of grandiose narcissism and lower levels of vulnerable narcissism. While both narcissistic variants had a minimal correlation (r = .02) with each other, they differentially predicted work performance. Notably, grandiose narcissism did not significantly predict any work performance dimension, whereas vulnerable narcissism, along with neuroticism, predicted higher CWB and lower task performance. Conscientiousness emerged as the strongest predictor of task performance. This study suggests that organizations might not benefit from managers with vulnerable narcissism. Understanding these distinct narcissistic variants offers insights into their impacts on managerial performance in work settings.

Brain-wide representation of social knowledge.

Understanding how the human brain maps different dimensions of social conceptualizations remains a key unresolved issue. We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in which participants were exposed to audio definitions of personality traits and asked to simulate experiences associated with the concepts. Half of the concepts were affective (e.g. empathetic), and the other half were non-affective (e.g. intelligent). Orthogonally, half of the concepts were highly likable (e.g. sincere) and half were socially undesirable (e.g. liar). Behaviourally, we observed that the dimension of social desirability reflected the participant's subjective ratings better than affect. FMRI decoding results showed that both social desirability and affect could be decoded in local patterns of activity through distributed brain regions including the superior temporal, inferior frontal, precuneus and key nodes of the default mode network in posterior/anterior cingulate and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Decoding accuracy was better for social desirability than affect. A representational similarity analysis further demonstrated that a deep language model significantly predicted brain activity associated with the concepts in bilateral regions of superior and anterior temporal lobes. The results demonstrate a brain-wide representation of social knowledge, involving default model network systems that support the multimodal simulation of social experience, with a further reliance on language-related preprocessing.

Percepções de enfermeiros da atenção primária sobre valorização no trabalho: o clamor de uma categoria / Perceptions of primary care nurses on value at work: the clamor of a category / Percepciones de las enfermeras de atención primaria sobre el valor en el trabajo: el clamor de una categoría

Objetivo: Conhecer as percepções de enfermeiros da Atenção Primária à Saúde sobre a valorização no trabalho. Métodos: Estudo qualitativo, descritivo e exploratório, realizado com 132 enfermeiros que atuavam na atenção primária à saúde, em 23 municípios do estado de Minas Gerais. Os dados foram coletados por meio de formulário on-line, analisados conforme pressupostos da análise de conteúdo, com amparo do software Iramuteq. Resultados: A maioria dos participantes eram do sexo feminino (114 - 86,37%), com idade entre 22 e 60 anos, com carga horária de trabalho semanal de 40 horas e recebiam entre 2- 4 salários mínimos. A partir das análises, os dados foram organizados em três categorias temáticas ­ Valorização: reconhecimento do trabalho do enfermeiro; Valorização: satisfação com o salário e Valorização: interdependência com as condições de trabalho. Conclusão: Os enfermeiros percebem que a valorização está atrelada ao reconhecimento profissional, à satisfação com o salário e às condições adequadas de trabalho, tais como: carga horária menor e recursos materiais. Consideraram que o reconhecimento externado por outros atores envolvidos na relação de cuidado, como gestores, usuários e profissionais de saúde, é essencial para a valorização do trabalho. (AU)

Objective: To understand the perceptions of Primary Health Care nurses regarding job appreciation. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study conducted with 132 nurses working in primary health care across 23 municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais. Data were collected through an online form and analyzed using content analysis assumptions, supported by the Iramuteq software. Results: The majority of participants were female (114 - 86.37%), aged between 22 and 60, with a weekly working hours of 40, and earning between 2-4 minimum wages. Through analysis, data were organized into three thematic categories ­ Appreciation: recognition of the nurse's work; Appreciation: satisfaction with the salary, and Appreciation: interdependence with working conditions. Conclusion: Nurses perceive that appreciation is linked to professional recognition, satisfaction with salary, and appropriate working conditions such as reduced working hours and material resources. They considered external recognition from other stakeholders in the care relationship, such as managers, users, and healthcare professionals, as essential for job appreciation. (AU)

Objetivo: Conocer las percepciones de los enfermeros de la Atención Primaria a la Salud sobre la valorización en el trabajo. Métodos: Estudio cualitativo, descriptivo y exploratorio realizado con 132 enfermeros que trabajaban en la atención primaria a la salud, en 23 municipios del estado de Minas Gerais. Los datos se recopilaron a través de un formulario en línea y se analizaron según los supuestos del análisis de contenido, con el apoyo del software Iramuteq. Resultados: La mayoría de los participantes eran mujeres (114 - 86,37%), con edades entre 22 y 60 años, con una carga horaria de trabajo semanal de 40 horas y recibían entre 2-4 salarios mínimos. A través de análisis, los datos se organizaron en tres categorías temáticas: Valorización: reconocimiento del trabajo del enfermero; Valorización: satisfacción con el salario y Valorización: interdependencia con las condiciones de trabajo. Conclusión: Los enfermeros perciben que la valorización está vinculada al reconocimiento profesional, la satisfacción con el salario y las condiciones de trabajo adecuadas, como una carga horaria reducida y recursos materiales. Consideraron que el reconocimiento externo por parte de otros actores involucrados en la relación de cuidado, como gestores, usuarios y profesionales de la salud, es esencial para la valorización del trabajo. (AU)

Choosing Among Undesirable Options: Children Consider Desirability of Available Choices in Evaluation of Socially Mindful Actions.

Previous studies show that adults and children evaluate the act of leaving a choice for others as prosocial, and have termed such actions as socially mindful actions. The current study investigates how the desirability of the available options (i.e., whether the available options are desirable or not) may influence adults' and children's evaluation of socially mindful actions. Children (N = 120, 4- to 6-year-olds) and adults (N = 124) were asked to evaluate characters selecting items for themselves from a set of three items-two identical items and one unique item-in a way that either leaves a choice (two diverse items) or leaves no choice (two identical items) for the next person (i.e., the beneficiary). We manipulated whether the available options were either desirable or undesirable (i.e., damaged). We found that adults' and 6-year-olds' evaluation of socially mindful actions is moderated by the desirability of the options. Although they evaluate the act of leaving a choice for others as nicer than the act of leaving no choice both when the choosing options are desirable and when they are undesirable, the discrepancy in the evaluation becomes significantly smaller when the choosing options are undesirable. We also found that inference of the beneficiary's feeling underlies social evaluation of the actor leaving a choice (or not). These findings suggest that children consider both the diversity of options left and the desirability of the available options in understanding and evaluating socially mindful acts.

Teacher's social desirability bias and Migrant students: A study on explicit and implicit prejudices with a list experiment.

Scholarly research has consistently shown that teachers present negative assessments of and attitudes toward migrant students. However, previous studies have not clearly addressed the distinction between implicit and explicit prejudices, or identified their underlying sources. This study identifies the explicit and implicit prejudices held by elementary and middle school teachers regarding the learning abilities of an ethnic minority group: Haitian students within the Chilean educational system. We use a list experiment to assess how social desirability and intergroup attitudes toward minority students influence teachers' prejudices. The findings reveal that teachers harbor implicit prejudices towards Haitian students and are truthful in reporting their attitudes, thereby contradicting the desirability bias hypothesis. We suggest that teachers rely on stereotypes associated with the students' nationality when assessing Haitian students' learning abilities. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to theories grounded in stereotypes and intergroup attitudes.

Interface entre valorização, reconhecimento e satisfação do trabalho de enfermeiros da Atenção Primária à Saúde / Interface between valorization, recognition, and satisfaction of nurses' work in Primary Health Care / Interfaz entre valorización, reconocimiento y satisfacción del trabajo de enfermeras en Atención Primaria de Salud

Objetivo:identificar a interface entre valorização, reconhecimento e satisfação advindas das percepções de enfermeiros no desenvolvimento do trabalho na Atenção Primária à Saúde. Método:estudo qualitativo, descritivo e exploratório, realizado com 132 enfermeiros de 23 municípios de Minas Gerais. Os dados foram coletados por meio de formulário on-line e analisados conforme pressupostos da análise de conteúdo, com amparo do software IraMuteQ.Resultados: a maioria dos participantes eram do sexo feminino, idade média de 36 anos, carga horária semanal de 40 horas e recebiam entre dois e quatro salários-mínimos. Os dados foram organizados em uma categoria denominada: Interface entre a valorização, o reconhecimento e a satisfação, advindas das percepções de enfermeiros no desenvolvimento do trabalho na atenção primária em saúde. Conclusões:a interface entre os fenômenos evidenciou os que permeiam o salário, a carga horária, o reconhecimento de terceiros, o valor social, a importância da profissão e a autonomia.

Objective:to identify the interfaces between appreciation, recognition, and satisfaction arising from the perceptions of nurses in the development of work in Primary Health Care. Method: this qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study was conducted with 132 nurses from 23 municipalities in Minas Gerais. Data were collected using an online form and analyzed according to content analysis assumptions, supported by the IraMuteQsoftware. Results:the majority of participants were female, with an average age of 36 years, worked 40 hours per week, and received between two and four minimum wages. The data were organized into a category called: Interfaces between appreciation, recognition, and satisfaction arising from the perceptions of nurses in the development of work in primary health care. Conclusions: the interface between the phenomena showed that points of convergence permeate salary, working hours, recognition from third parties, social value, the importance of the profession, and autonomy.

Objetivo: identificar interfaces entre apreciación, reconocimiento y satisfacción surgidos de percepciones de enfermeras en el desarrollo del trabajo en Atención Primaria de Salud. Método: estudio cualitativo que se realizó con 132 enfermeras de 23 municipios en Minas Gerais. Los datos se recopilaron mediante formulario en línea y por análisis de contenido, con el apoyo del software IraMuteQ. Resultados: La mayoría de los participantes eran mujeres, con una edad promedio de 36 años, trabajaban 40 horas por semana y recibían entre dos y cuatro salarios mínimos. Los datos se organizaron en una categoría denominada: Interfaces entre apreciación, reconocimiento y satisfacción surgidos de las percepciones de las enfermeras en el desarrollo del trabajo en atención primaria de salud. Conclusiones: La interfaz entre los fenómenos mostró que los puntos de convergencia permeaban el salario, las horas de trabajo, elreconocimiento de terceros, el valor social, la importancia de la profesión y la autonomía.

Dispositional and Social Correlates of Digital Status Seeking Among Adolescents.

Social media have transformed peer relationships among adolescents, providing new avenues to attain online status indicators such as likes and followers. This study aimed to explore the associations between various dispositional and social factors and digital status-seeking behaviors among a sample of adolescents (N = 731; Mage = 14.69, 48.7 percent female), as well as explore potential gender differences in the examined associations. Sociometric nominations for digital status-seeking, likeability, and popularity were collected, and participants self-reported their social media use frequency, awareness of social media positivity bias, reward sensitivity, and gender. The findings revealed a positive relationship between sociometric popularity and digital status-seeking, whereas likeability displayed a negative association with digital status-seeking. These results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between different social status indicators in understanding online behaviors. Reward sensitivity did not show a significant link to digital status-seeking, and awareness of social media positivity bias heightened the likelihood of being nominated as a digital status-seeker. These findings underscore the need for further research, especially focusing on girls who appear to be more vulnerable to engaging in digital status-seeking behaviors.

Dispositional awe negatively predicts corruption via the sense of connectedness.

Corruption is a political and economic issue that has a detrimental impact on social and economic development. This study investigated the predictive effect of dispositional awe on corruption, and the underlying mechanisms from the perspective of connectedness. A sample of 548 (Nfemale = 371) individuals, aged between 16 and 71 years old (M = 21.18, SD = 3.39), was collected. Participants completed scales to measure dispositional awe, the sense of connectedness, corruption, and social desirability. Structural equation modelling and a bootstrap procedure were used to analyze the relationship between the variables. Results showed that dispositional awe negatively predicted corruption, including the tendencies for giving and accepting bribes, and this could be explained by the sense of connectedness, after controlling for the effect of social desirability. The findings highlight the significance of dispositional awe in relation to corruption, enhance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms connecting the two variables, and provide practical implications for the prevention of corruption.

Social desirability bias is related to children's energy intake in a laboratory test meal paradigm.

Dietary intake is notoriously difficult to measure in children. Laboratory test meals address some of the methodological concerns of self-report methods, but may also be susceptible to social desirability bias, referring to the tendency for individuals to adjust their behaviors in order to be perceived more positively. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether social desirability bias was associated with children's energy intake during a laboratory test meal, and whether this association varied by food type (total caloric intake, snack food intake, fruit/vegetable intake) and sex. A total of 82 children (M age = 9.45 ± 0.85; 50 % girls; 84.1 % rural; 85.4 % White) completed several surveys, including the Children's Social Desirability Scale and had their body composition measured. At lunchtime, they were granted access to a multi-array test meal (>5000 kcal). After adjusting for lean mass, fat mass, depressive symptoms, and parental food restriction, children who reported higher social desirability bias consumed fewer calories from snack foods (B = -11.58, p = .009, semi-partial correlation = -0.28). Boys with higher social desirability bias consumed less calories from fruits and vegetables (B = -6.47, p = .010, semi-partial correlation = -0.411); this association was not significant in girls. The desire to be perceived in a positive manner may influence children's eating behaviors in experimental paradigms. Replication studies with larger, more diverse pediatric samples are needed, as are strategies to reduce the effects of social desirability bias on test meal intake in order to enhance the validity of this dietary assessment approach.

Popularity at first sight: Dominant behaviours mediate the link between extraversion and popularity in face-to-face and virtual group interactions.

Although there is robust evidence that being more extraverted is related to higher popularity, only few studies have examined which actual behaviours (e.g., verbal content, body language) might explain this association. The current study examined whether observer-rated dominant behaviours (nonverbal, paraverbal, verbal, and general cues) mediate the relationship between self-rated extraversion and its facets (assertiveness, sociability, and activity) and other-rated popularity in zero-acquaintance settings. In two studies, we analysed data from face-to-face (Study 1, N = 124) and virtual (Study 2, N = 291) group interactions where participants were videotaped while performing a task and subsequently rated each other on popularity. Across studies, extraversion and the facets assertiveness and sociability were consistently associated with higher popularity, while the role of dominant behaviours differed. In Study 1, only two nonverbal behaviours, dominant gestures and upright posture, mediated the association between extraversion and popularity. In Study 2, all four types of behavioural cues mediated the association between extraversion (facets) and popularity. We discuss how these findings provide insights into the mechanisms of attaining popularity at zero acquaintance in diverse social settings.

Social desirability, dietary intakes, and variables related to attitudes and behaviours towards eating among French-speaking adults from Quebec, Canada: The PREDISE study.

The primary objective of this study was to examine how social desirability is associated with self-reported measures of dietary intakes and variables related to attitudes and behaviours towards eating. This analysis was conducted in 1083 adults (50.0% women) from the PREDISE study. Social desirability was assessed using the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) questionnaire, which includes two subscales: (1) self-deceptive enhancement (SDE), i.e., having an overly positive self-image and (2) impression management (IM), i.e., intentional response distortion to please. BIDR total score and IM subscore were positively associated with the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) (ß = 0.24 and ß = 0.50; p ≤ 0.0003), calculated using data from three self-administered 24 h food recalls. All BIDR scores were positively associated with self-determined motivation for eating regulation (0.03 ≤ ß ≤ 0.06; p < 0.0001), measured by the Regulation of Eating Behavior Scale, and with the intuitive eating score (0.02 ≤ ß ≤ 0.05; p < 0.0001). Also, all BIDR scores were negatively associated with hunger and disinhibition scores measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (-0.17 ≤ ß ≤ -0.09; p < 0.0001). All these associations were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and the education level. Furthermore, controlling for both dimensions of social desirability did not impact the magnitude of the association between self-determined motivation (the strongest predictor of healthy eating in the PREDISE study) and C-HEI. According to our results, associations are observed with diet quality, as well as with attitudes and behaviours towards eating; therefore, a measurement of social desirability responding would be pertinent in studies using those or related variables.

Less Evaluative Measures of Personality in Job Applicant Contexts: The Effect on Socially Desirable Responding and Criterion Validity.

Researchers have long sought to mitigate the detrimental effects of socially desirable responding on personality assessments in high-stakes contexts. This study investigated the effect of reducing the social desirability of personality items on response distortion and criterion validity in a job applicant context. Using a 2 × 2 repeated measures design, participants (n = 584) completed standard (International Personality Item Pool) and less evaluative (Less Evaluative Five Factor Inventory) measures of Big Five personality in a low-stakes context and then several weeks later in a simulated job applicant context. Self-report criteria with objective answers, including university grades, were also obtained. In general, the less evaluative measure showed less response distortion than the standard measure on some metrics, but not on others. Declines in criterion validity in the applicant context were smaller for the less evaluative measure. In the applicant context, however, validities were similar across the two measures. Correlations across contexts for corresponding traits (e.g., low-stakes extraversion with high-stakes extraversion) were also similar for both measures. In summary, reducing socially desirable item content might slightly reduce the substantive content required to predict criteria in low-stakes contexts, but this effect appears to be partly offset by reduced response distortion for less evaluative measures in applicant contexts.

Impact of a pre-test measurement of alcohol craving in cue-exposure studies: Relationship with social desirability and demand effects.

Craving is one of the most studied concepts in the field of addiction. It is often investigated with repeated-measure experimental designs using self-reported scales. However, the explicit nature of self-reported craving scales may make them vulnerable to social desirability and demand effects. The aim of the present study was to test whether a pre-experimental measurement of craving affects its post-experimental assessment after an alcohol video exposure and whether these changes relate to social desirability, demand effects, and alcohol consumption. Seventy-five healthy volunteers aged 18-30 years were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: a pre-post and a post-only craving assessment group. They were invited to watch an alcohol-related video. Social desirability, demand effects, engagement toward the video, and severity of alcohol consumption were assessed in all participants. The results showed a significant effect of alcohol consumption (p < .001, η2p = .09) on post-experimental craving. The main effect of the repeated measure of craving was also significant (p = .04, η2p = .001), together with the interaction between these two variables (p = .03, η2p = .06). The pre-experimental craving measurement increased its post-experimental levels, but only in heavy drinkers. However, no evidence was found that these changes were related to social desirability or demand effects. Additional exploratory analyses indicated that craving increase in high alcohol drinkers was mediated by a stronger engagement toward the alcohol-related video. In summary, the repeated measurement of craving with explicit scales has a significant impact on the results of alcohol craving studies and may not always be desirable, especially when the true purpose of the study needs to be hidden from the participants. However, the present results also suggest that the pre-post experimental design is advisable when the experimenters seek to maximize the relationship between the individual levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol cue-exposure craving changes.

Is football coming out? Anti-gay attitudes, social desirability, and pluralistic ignorance in amateur and professional football.

Past work consistently points to improved attitudes towards gay athletes and growing support for homosexuality, yet reports of a homophobic climate in amateur and professional football persist. Here, we explore two potential explanations for the prevalence of homophobia in football despite low levels of anti-gay attitudes: social desirability and pluralistic ignorance. We conduct an online survey among a football-affine and socio-demographically diverse sample in the UK. We find that anti-gay attitudes are rare. Importantly, estimates from a list experiment do not differ from the prevalence measured by direct questions, providing no evidence of social desirability. By contrast, second-order beliefs about anti-gay attitudes substantially and consistently exceed attitudes, pointing towards pluralistic ignorance as the most likely explanation. We conclude by emphasizing the need for transparent communication to reduce pluralistic ignorance and correct misperceptions among players, officials and supporters.

How does social desirability bias influence survey-based estimates of the use of antenatal care in rural Nepal? A validation study.

OBJECTIVES: Social desirability bias is often speculated to influence survey responses but seldom studied in healthcare. The objective was to explore whether social desirability scores (SDS) or the presence of interview observers is associated with inaccurate recall and overestimation of antenatal care (ANC) services. DESIGN: Longitudinal validation study comparing recalled receipt of ANC services and nutrition components of ANC against direct observations of care. An adapted short form Marlowe-Crowne questionnaire was used to generate an SDS, and the presence of interview observers was treated as a separate exposure. We assessed accuracy and overestimation of recalled receipt of ANC services against observed receipt using log-binomial regression, adjusting for age, education, first-pregnancy and socioeconomic status. SETTING: Rural Southern Nepal with recruitment from five government health posts. PARTICIPANTS: 401 pregnant women. RESULTS: Social desirability scores did not significantly predict accuracy or overestimation of most types of ANC care except counselling on nausea. Higher SDS was associated with more accurate recall (adjusted RR, aRR 1.08 (95% CI 1.03, 1.12)) and less overestimation (aRR 0.85 (0.80, 0.91)). The presence of mothers-in-law or husbands during interviews was associated with greater overestimation of the number of ANC visits received by more than three visits (aRR 2.07 (1.11, 3.84)) and (aRR 4.19 (2.17, 8.10)), respectively. Those interviewed with friends present tended to overestimate the receipt of counselling on nausea, avoiding alcohol and not smoking. CONCLUSION: The presence of observers can lead to overestimation of the receipt of ANC care and support the conduct of interviews in private settings despite challenges of doing so in village contexts. Findings that the SDS did not predict the accuracy of most types of ANC care might reflect a reality that such questions may not be sensitive from a social-norms perspective. Additional local adaptation of SDS is recommended.