VALUE PRIORITIES AND SOCIAL DESIRABILITY - MUCH SUBSTANCE, SOME STYLE

Associations of value priorities with socially desirable responding (S D) might be due to a stylistic bias chat distorts self-reported value ratings or to a substantive relationship between valued goals and need s. We hypothesize that, as a stylistic bias, SD would increase (a) the importance people attribute to values in general and (b) lead people to match own value ratings co those of importance in their social envi ronment. As a substantive variable, SD would correlate positively with value types that emphasize social harmony (conformity, security benev olence, tradition) and negatively with value types that challenge soci al conventions and harmony (hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, ach ievement, power). In separate studies, 207 Israeli adults and 131 Finn ish social work students completed the Marlow-Crowne SD scale and a va lue survey. Both studies supported the substantive hypotheses.