Can People With Higher Versus Lower Scores on Impression Management or Self-Monitoring Be Identified Through Different Traces Under Faking?

According to faking models, personality variables and faking are related. Most prominently, people's tendency to try to make an appropriate impression (impression management; IM) and their tendency to adjust the impression they make (self-monitoring; SM) have been suggested to be associated with faking. Nevertheless, empirical findings connecting these personality variables to faking have been contradictory, partly because different studies have given individuals different tests to fake and different faking directions (to fake low vs. high scores). Importantly, whereas past research has focused on faking by examining test scores, recent advances have suggested that the faking process could be better understood by analyzing individuals' responses at the item level (response pattern). Using machine learning (elastic net and random forest regression), we reanalyzed a data set (N = 260) to investigate whether individuals' faked response patterns on extraversion (features; i.e., input variables) could reveal their IM and SM scores. We found that individuals had similar response patterns when they faked, irrespective of their IM scores (excluding the faking of high scores when random forest regression was used). Elastic net and random forest regression converged in revealing that individuals higher on SM differed from individuals lower on SM in how they faked. Thus, response patterns were able to reveal individuals' SM, but not IM. Feature importance analyses showed that whereas some items were faked differently by individuals with higher versus lower SM scores, others were faked similarly. Our results imply that analyses of response patterns offer valuable new insights into the faking process.

Impression management in daily life: an experience sampling test for the expression of impression management as interpersonally oriented self-control.

Impression management (IM) scales (often called lie or social desirability scales) have long been applied as validity scales in assessment processes. Recent developments have indicated that these scales measure a substantive personality predisposition and not response bias, but the nature of the disposition is disputable. According to the 'interpersonally oriented self-control' approach, IM is associated with high self-control exerted mainly in public social contexts to facilitate adaptation. Supported in laboratory settings, this approach has not been tested in real-life dynamics. In the present experience sampling study, participants reported 3 times a day (10 days) about their social condition (alone/'with others') and their level of self-control. Results revealed that IM was associated with stronger self-control when with other people than when alone. Comparable reactions to public social context were not found for self-deception enhancement, trait self-control, or agreeableness, marking this a unique aspect of IM. The findings further stress the need to reconsider the use of IM scales for validity purposes in assessment processes.

Self-controlled responses to COVID-19: Self-control and uncertainty predict responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two online studies (Total N = 331) tested the hypothesis that individual differences in self-control and responses to uncertainty would predict adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020a) guidelines, reported stockpiling, and intentions to engage in hedonic behavior in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trait self-control (b = 0.27, p = .015), desire for self-control (Study 1: b = 0.28, p = .001; Study 2: b = 0.27, p = .005), and cognitive uncertainty (b = 0.73, p < .001) predicted more CDC adherence. State self-control (Study 1: b = -0.15, p = .012; Study 2: b = -0.26, p < .001) predicted less stockpiling, whereas emotional uncertainty (b = 0.56, p < .001) and cognitive uncertainty (b = 0.61, p < .001) predicted more stockpiling. State self-control (b = -0.18, p = .003) predicted less hedonic behavior, whereas desire for self-control (b = 0.42, p < .001) and emotional uncertainty (b = 0.26, p = .018) predicted more hedonic behavior. Study 2 (pre-registered) also found that emotional uncertainty predicted more stockpiling and hedonic behavior for participants low in state self-control (stockpiling: b = -0.31, p < .001; hedonic behavior: b = 0.28, p = .025), but not for participants high in state self-control (stockpiling: b = 0.03, p = .795; hedonic behavior: b = -0.24, p = .066). These findings provide evidence that some forms of self-control and uncertainty influenced compliance with behavioral recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02066-y.

Desire for self-control and task performance: A plan is a key.

This research reports two studies testing whether implementation intentions can improve performance for people high in Desire for Self-Control (DSC). DSC reflects a wish to have more self-control and was previously found to be associated with impaired self-control performance. We hypothesized that implementation intentions could reverse the effect by providing clear guidance on how to handle self-control challenges. Two experiments (Ns = 175, 302) tested this hypothesis using different self-control tasks and manipulated and measured DSC. Results from both studies showed that DSC interacts with implementation intentions, such that among individuals high in DSC (but not among individuals low in DSC), implementation intentions were helpful in improving self-control performance. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Choice Matters More with Others: Choosing to be with Other People is More Consequential to Well-Being than Choosing to be Alone.

Stable social relationships are conducive to well-being. However, similar effects are not reported consistently for daily social interactions in affecting episodic (experiential) subjective well-being (ESWB). The present investigation suggests that the choice of being in a social context plays an important moderating role, such that social interactions increase ESWB only if taken place by one's choice. Moreover, it is argued that choice matters more in a social context than in an alone context because experiences with others are amplified. These ideas were tested and supported in two studies: An experiment that manipulated social context and choice status, and a 10-day experience-sampling study, which explored these variables in real-life settings. Results showed that being with others by one's choice had the strongest positive association with ESWB, sense of meaning, and control, whereas being with others not by one's choice-the strongest negative association with ESWB. Effects of being alone on ESWB also varied by choice status, but to a lesser extent. The findings offer theoretical and practical insights into the effects of the social environment on well-being.

From being alone to being the only one: Neuroticism is associated with an egocentric shift in an alone context.

OBJECTIVE: This research presents evidence for an egocentric shift occurring among individuals high in Neuroticism by the mere thought-and actual state-of being alone. METHOD: Four experiments and one experience sampling study (N = 719). In the experiments, Neuroticism was measured, and participants were randomly primed to adopt either an alone or a "with others" social context mind-set. The experiments measured different expressions of egocentrism. Study 1 measured perspective-taking, Study 2a was focused on social value orientation, Study 2b measured money allocation in a dictator game, and Study 3 measured self-reported and behavioral interpersonal trust. Trust was also the focus of Study 4, a 5-day experience sampling study. RESULTS: In an alone mind-set, high (vs. low) Neuroticism individuals were more likely to adopt an egocentric perspective in evaluating social stimuli (Study 1) and to adopt a selfish approach to money allocation (Studies 2a, 2b). Studies 3 and 4 addressed the source of the shift, showing that in an alone mind-set (Study 3) and in an actual alone state (Study 4), Neuroticism was associated with reduced interpersonal trust. CONCLUSIONS: For high-Neuroticism individuals, thinking about-and actually being-alone induces a sense that they only have themselves to rely on.

The Self-Control Irony: Desire for Self-Control Limits Exertion of Self-Control in Demanding Settings.

Self-control is a highly adaptive human capacity. Accordingly, development of self-control is widely encouraged. Whereas the benefits of having self-control are well documented, little is known about the impact of wanting self-control. The present investigation fills this void by exploring the effect of desire for self-control on the ability to exert self-control. It was expected that in the context of demanding self-control challenges, a desire for self-control will highlight a discrepancy between one's goals and perceived performance potential, leading to reduced efficacy beliefs and task disengagement. Four studies ( N = 635) supported the prediction. Study 1 showed that a strong desire impaired performance on a demanding task but not on a simple task. Study 2 conceptually replicated the decrement in performance and established causality by experimentally manipulating desire for self-control. Studies 3 and 4 showed that reduction in efficacy beliefs mediate the effect. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Impression management ("lie") scales are associated with interpersonally oriented self-control, not other-deception.

This article explores the status of impression management (IM) scales ("lie scales," notably, BIDR-IM) as measures of response bias, offers theory-driven substantive meaning to them, and compares them with self-deception enhancement (SDE). Study 1 (N = 99) compared self-descriptions of actual self and ideal self given in a non-anonymous setting. High similarity indicates self-enhancement. Study 2 (70 dyads) analyzed self-other agreement about IM and SDE. Agreement indicates substantive basis to the scales' scores. Study 3 (N = 182) explored the centrality of self-control in the self-perception of individuals varying in IM and SDE. Study 4 (95 dyads) corroborated self-reports about self-control using informants' reports. In Study 1, IM was associated with relative humility, whereas SDE was associated with self-enhancement. In Study 2, strong self-other agreement was found only for IM, indicating that high IM (but not SDE) is grounded in real-life behavior. In Study 3, self-control was central in the self-perception of high IM and high SDE individuals. In Study 4, strong relations with self-control were corroborated by informants only for IM. IM scales measure substantive content associated with self-control aimed at social adaptation, whereas the SDE scale depicts individuals with a grandiose self-perception, who fail to impress knowledgeable others.

The effect of public social context on self-control: depletion for neuroticism and restoration for impression management.

The present study explores the role of personality in moderating the effect of public social context on self-control. The authors predicted that in public settings neuroticism would be associated with ego-depletion effects and individual differences in impression management (IM) would be associated with restoration effects. Three experiments supported the hypothesis. In Study 1 neuroticism was associated with impaired self-control and IM was associated with enhanced self-control following an initial phase of working on a simple task in public (vs. in private). Study 2 replicated and extended these results to other domains of self-control. Study 3 explored whether public social context can cancel out early depletion effects. In this study, depleted participants engaged in a task that required self-control either alone or in public. As expected, the public settings were associated with restored self-control resources mostly among high IM individuals. Implications for self-control, neuroticism, and IM are discussed.

Look at me, I'm happy and creative: The effect of impression management on behavior in social presence.

The present research tested competing approaches to individual differences in impression management (as measured with social desirability scales) and their implication for behavior in social contexts. A defensiveness approach argues that impression management is a source of defensive self-presentation, which causes performance impairment in public social settings. The competing adjustment approach argues that impression management measures friendliness and self-control, which should bring about performance facilitation in public social settings. To decide between these approaches, two experiments utilized a social facilitation paradigm, whereby task performance was compared between an alone and a public condition. The results supported the predictions of the adjustment approach. Across different tasks, a high impression management score was associated with performance facilitation in social presence, expressed in greater creativity, positive implicit affect, and high self-control. The results reveal previously unnoticed constructive effects of impression management, supporting the reframing of the trait as reflecting interpersonally oriented self-control.

Rethinking Social Desirability Scales: From Impression Management to Interpersonally Oriented Self-Control.

Social desirability (specifically, impression management) scales are widely used by researchers and practitioners to screen individuals who bias self-reports in a self-favoring manner. These scales also serve to identify individuals at risk for psychological and health problems. The present review explores the evidence with regard to the ability of these scales to achieve these objectives. In the first part of the review, I present six criteria to evaluate impression management scales and conclude that they are unsatisfactory as measures of response style. Next, I explore what individual differences in impression management scores actually do measure. I compare two approaches: a defensiveness approach, which argues that these scales measure defensiveness that stems from vulnerable self-esteem, and an adjustment approach, which suggests that impression management is associated with personal well-being and interpersonal adjustment. Data from a wide variety of fields including social behavior, affect and well-being, health, and job performance tend to favor the adjustment approach. Finally, I argue that scales measuring impression management should be redefined as measures of interpersonally oriented self-control that identify individuals who demonstrate high levels of self-control, especially in social contexts.

Adoption of cost consciousness: attitudes, practices, and knowledge among Israeli physicians.

OBJECTIVES: In a resource-constrained reality, physicians are facing polar demands-those of healthcare managements to adopt cost-conscious behaviors and those of ethical standards that obligate physicians to consider only their patients' best interests. In our study, we aimed to determine the attitudes, practices, and knowledge of healthcare costs among Israeli physicians. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and mailed to a representative sample of physicians in Israel. The overall response rate was 51 percent. The study reviewed self-reported levels of cost consciousness in practice, attitudes, obstacles related to cost containment, and knowledge of the costs of medical resources. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of the physicians reported high levels of cost consciousness in their daily practice; 70 percent reported greater current cost consciousness in comparison to 5 years ago; 76 percent of the responses legitimized institutional demands for cost containment. Although 83 percent of the physicians that responded expressed the belief that economic thinking was inherently the role of management, only 39 percent thought it was part of the physician's role. It was found that predominant predictors of agreement to cost consciousness concepts were employment by a community health plan, a managerial position, participation in health economics seminars, and male gender. CONCLUSIONS: Cost consciousness among physicians is related to a broad array of parameters. Interventions must emphasize the benefits of evidence-based medicine as an anchor for both cost containment and quality care, as well as providing assistance to physicians in accepting economic decision-making as part of their professional role.