An English-Language Adaptation of the Social Desirability\u2013Gamma Short Scale (KSE-G)

Désirée Nießen,Melanie V Partsch,Christoph J Kemper,Beatrice Rammstedt

doi:10.1186/s42409-018-0005-1

Abstract

The Social Desirability–Gamma Short Scale—the English-language adaptation of the Kurzskala Soziale Erwünschtheit–Gamma (KSE-G)—measures two aspects of the Gamma factor of socially desirable responding (SDR): exaggerating positive qualities (PQ+) and minimizing negative qualities (NQ−). The items of the German-language source version were translated into English using the TRAPD approach. Our empirical validation shows that the reliability and validity coefficients of the English adaptation are comparable to those of the German source instrument. Moreover, the results of measurement invariance testing suggest metric measurement invariance of the scale for the United Kingdom and Germany, thus implying comparability of correlations based on the latent factors across the two countries.

Highlights

Social desirability is a response tendency that biases individual item responses, thereby leading to deviation from true scores
Samples To investigate the psychometric properties of the English adaptation of the Kurzskala Soziale Erwünschtheit– Gamma (KSE-G), and their comparability with those of the German source instrument, we assessed both versions in a web-based survey conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Germany (DE) by the online access panel provider respondi AG
Descriptives and reference ranges In the first step, we report the descriptive statistics and reference ranges separately for both versions of the KSE-G

Summary

Introduction

Social desirability is a response tendency that biases individual item responses, thereby leading to deviation from true scores. As opposed to Alpha, scales assessing the Gamma factor are suitable for checking whether self-report questionnaire responses measuring behavior, personality, and attitudes are biased by SDR. Several scales assessing both SDR factors and/or focusing on individual diagnostics already exist. In order to provide a measure of the Gamma factor of SDR that can be used for research purposes with extreme time limitations, Kemper, Beierlein, Bensch, Kovaleva, and Rammstedt (2014) developed for the German context the KSE-G (Kurzskala Soziale Erwünschtheit–Gamma [Social Desirability–Gamma Short Scale]). An empirical investigation of the appropriateness of this adaptation was hitherto lacking Such validation is the only way to test the applicability of the English KSE-G to an English-speaking population. The aim of the present study, was to conduct a comprehensive validation study of the English adaptation of the KSE-G and to compare its psychometric properties directly with those of the German source version

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion