Social Desirability: Definition, Important Aspects And Characteristics
The human being is a gregarious animal by nature. Since the dawn of its evolution as a species, it has coexisted in groups of more or less large size, although not as large as the current ones, collaborating in the tasks necessary to survive.
All of this has caused most people to show a special interest in interacting with their peers, especially in such critical periods of life as adolescence.
In this article we will address the concept of social desirability which has its roots in this evolutionary baggage and which is expressed vehemently in multiple areas of life, conditioning our decisions and relationships.
social desirability It can be understood as a response style, or as a behavioral tendency, in situations where there is a component of judgment on the part of others
It includes a series of attributes, thoughts, acts and beliefs that are valued (by the group to which they belong) as acceptable; Therefore, a reward is derived for their adherence and a sanction (or rejection) for their non-compliance.
Because most human beings want to present a favorable image to others, which often takes the form of masks whose purpose is to hide everything that is perceived as unacceptable, there would be a pressure aimed at adjusting individuality to adapt it to others. molds of expectation. Thus, the intricacies of one’s true identity would only be shown to people whose bond guaranteed acceptance and validation.
The most intense expression of social desirability would occur if we perceived a notable discrepancy between what we believe we are and what others expect of us, especially when we assign a high positive value to acceptance and a high negative value to rejection. .
The importance of this concept is such that it is estimated that it can influence the results of the psychological evaluation, especially in the field of human resources and the clinic. For this reason, various authors have included specific scales to detect it within tools that measure constructs such as personality structure or job performance, thereby specifying a margin of error attributable to the need for approval by the evaluator.
The search for affiliation has been an object of interest for both basic psychology and the evolutionary, clinical and social aspects Even Abraham Maslow, one of the most relevant humanists, placed it at the very heart of his popular pyramid of needs (above physiological and security needs, and below personal recognition and self-realization); emphasizing that, after covering the most basic aspects for survival, social relationships would be the last link from which to achieve personal transcendence.
Currently, there are many studies that highlight the extraordinary negative impact of the absence of affection or love on human brain development, especially at the time when a deprivation of basic care for the newborn is evident, whose central nervous system is damaged. is immersed in an intense maturation process. Unwanted loneliness also has a deleterious effect on old age, increasing morbidity and reducing life expectancy.
And the human being requires collaboration with other members of the same species to deal with the vicissitudes of the environment. Thousands of years ago, when societies lacked a structure as we know it today, communities were made up of small groups of individuals who acted in a coordinated manner to meet individual needs, isolation being an inexorable death sentence (predators, accidents, etc.).
Humans who lived together had a greater probability of surviving and continuing their genetic pool through reproduction, facilitating the transmission of traits that would stimulate the maintenance of social ties. All of this sponsored by cultural components and the attribution of roles, within a society that gave the individual a broader sense of belonging.
So that, Social desirability is the result of the confluence of cultural, social, psychological and biological dimensions ; that stimulate the need to be accepted by reference groups. This reality serves as a foundation to give meaning to other phenomena that are observed in social dynamics, from conformism to prosocial behavior.
In the field of Psychology, social desirability has also been understood as a confounding variable in the performance of psychometric tests (questionnaires, for example), consisting of the shaping of the answers offered by the evaluator in order to adopt a position. consistent with prevailing norms or values. This particular bias would therefore be one of the consequences of the desire for acceptance.
Social desirability has a profound impact on numerous areas of life In this section we will only describe some of them, although it can be extended to many others.
1. Relationships
The early stages of a relationship have the purpose of showing the other person all those characteristics that, based on the narrow margins of social expectations, we consider to have greater interpersonal attractiveness. So, there is a tendency to highlight everything positive (such as achievements in life and the most desirable personality traits), ignoring what could generate resistance in courtship exchanges.
As the relationship progresses and the bond becomes stronger, a commitment to continuity tends to take hold, diluting the fear of rejection. It is at this moment when social desirability weakens, showing the most questionable aspects of who oneself believes oneself to be. It may be the phase in which a greater emotional connection occurs, supported by more authentic communication.
2. Prosocial behavior
Prosocial behavior is understood as any deliberate activity that pursues, as a direct consequence, the production of some good for groups or individuals in vulnerable situations. As a result of these acts, compensation is received which may be of an economic nature (salary compensation) or social (prestige, consideration or relief of difficult emotions such as guilt or boredom).
This concept differs from altruism due to the detail that, in the latter case, no benefits of any kind are associated with the person who develops the helping behavior (neither pecuniary nor of any other nature). The impact of social desirability is of such magnitude that many authors suggest that altruism as such would not be possible, since all selfless behavior would hide the incentive to seek a desirable personal image accepted by the environment.
3. Rejection of social groups
Almost all societies have ostracized other groups of people because they are considered unworthy of value, encouraging this discriminatory judgment on cultural and/or religious rigors. A descriptive example of the phenomenon would be the untouchables of India, a group subjected to explicit rejection by their community based on the attribution of particular characteristics that oppose what is desirable.
There is numerous evidence that people may be tempted to answer a question by considering in advance the degree of consensus that their own reference group has on the possible answers to it, especially when the environment is ambiguous and there is physical proximity. In this way, the probability of acting wrongly would increase, solely due to the fact that it is the most common thing.
The phenomenon has been studied through research situations designed for this purpose, the following being a classic example:
A group of people is placed at the same table, all of whom (except one) collaborate with the experimenter. They are shown a straight line of medium length, and then they are made to choose between three possible options (lines of different lengths) which would be most similar to the one originally shown. The subject evaluated would respond at the end, when the rest had consensually indicated one of the erroneous options. In a large percentage, this would end up opting for the same line and being wrong
5. Psychometric biases
Social desirability influences the responses that a person makes when questioned during a formal psychological evaluation. There are multiple studies that explore this phenomenon and relate it to biases associated with the human factor, and for which specific strategies are created aimed at its adequate control
Social desirability is not the same as lying
Although the phenomenon may seem like a perfect alibi for the production of dishonest acts or even lies, this is not the case at all.
Social desirability serves as an axis to better understand persuasion mechanisms and relationship dynamics that take place in the social fact, by exerting their influence on very different areas of life. It exemplifies, therefore, the way in which group pressure can condition the way we express ourselves to others.
