Abstract
Hampson, Goldberg and John (1987) reported a positive correlation between category breadth and social desirability of trait descriptive adjectives. Two possible explanations for this finding are as follows, (a) Undesirable traits represent denials of desirable traits, and are thus more difficult to process cognitively; therefore, fewer instances of negative traits can be imagined, (b) Undesirable behaviours are less frequent; therefore, fewer instances spring to mind. With respect to root/negation pairs of traits in which the negation is socially desirable (e.g. Unenvious/Envious), Hypothesis (a) predicts a lower category breadth for the negation, whereas Hypothesis (b) predicts the reverse. Using the relevant trait pairs in Table 1 from Hampson et al. (1987), Hypothesis (b) appeared to be victorious in 10 of the 12 cases (p < 0.05).
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
