Psychology A-Level
social desirability bias
What social desirability bias means in Psychology A-Level, as defined for OCR.
Definition of social desirability bias
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain social desirability bias in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
A threat to both questionnaires and interviews, in which the respondent may not tell you honestly, for example inflating reported medication use or reported willingness to help.
Topics that use social desirability bias
- Research methods and techniques (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- behavioural categories
- causal inference
- co-variables
- direction and strength
- inter-rater reliability
- interviewer effects
- manipulation of an independent variable
- open and closed questions
Using social desirability bias in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
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