SOCIAL DESIRABILITY AND MACHIAVELLIANISM ARTIFACT IN THE CALIFORNIA SELF-ESTEEM MEASURE

• NCJ Number: 40058
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1977) Pages: 84-87
• Author(s): J ROUNDS
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DEFENSIVENESS MAY PLAY A PART IN THE MEASUREMENT OF SELF-ESTEEM IN THE CORRECTIONAL SETTING.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE SPRING OF 1972 AMONG 50 MALE INMATES IN A MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION WHO WERE NEWLY ARRIVED AND WERE ADMINISTERED THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AS PART OF THE NORMAL INTAKE PROCEDURE. INMATE SCORES ON MEASURES OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY (THE DESIRE TO LOOK GOOD) AND MACHIAVELLIANISM (THE TENDENCY TO MANIPULATE OTHERS TO ONE'S OWN ENDS) WERE CORRELATED WITH SCORES ON A CALIFORNIA TEST OF THE SELF-ESTEEM MEASURE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION OF THE TEST, BOTH SOCIAL DESIRABILITY AND MACHIAVELLIANISM WERE FOUND TO BE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE SELF-ESTEEM SCORES. CAUTION IN INTERPRETING THE FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS STUDIES ON THE SUBJECT WAS RECOMMENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...EB