SOCIALLY DESIRABLE RESPONDING AND SEXUALITY SELF-REPORTS

We assessed the impact of two distinct forms; of socially desirable re sponding-self-deceptive enhancement and impression management-on sexua lity self-reports (n = 504) under anonymous testing conditions. Result s revealed significant positive relationships between self-deceptive e nhancement and sexual adjustment variables for both sexes. Impression management was significantly negatively related to a number of intrape rsonal (e.g., unrestricted sexual fantasies, sexual drive) mad interpe rsonal (e.g., sexual experience, virginity status) sexual behaviors fo r females, and to unrestricted sexual attributes and fantasies for mal es. We calculated correlations were first calculated between self-dece ptive enhancement, impression management, and personality and conserva tion scores. Self-deceptive enhancement and impression management were significantly associated with personality for males and females, and with conservatism for females only. When personality and conservation variance were partialed out, associations between self-deceptive enhan cement and sexuality variables were eliminated, but associations betwe en impression management and sexuality measures remained significant. These findings highlight the importance of a two-factor approach ra as sessing socially desirable responding, and provide modest support for the view that response bias may intrude in self-report sex data, were under anonymous testing conditions.