We examine the tendency to give socially approved responses among Mexicans and Anglos, interpreting it as a type of image management characterized by conformity and the presentation of a good face. We find that it is associated with low social class, minority status, age, and Mexican culture. Persons in positions of powerlessness or in cultures that emphasize correct appearances may have learned that presenting a good face is an adaptive strategy. Typically, sociologists have not viewed the tendency to give socially approved responses as a variable of intrinsic interest. Instead, they usually interpret it as an indicator of response bias-a variable that must be controlled in order to reduce distortions in the relationships of interest. To many psychologists, on the other hand, the tendency to give socially approved answers measures a construct of intrinsic interest: the need for social approval. We attempt to synthesize these two perspectives. We propose that the tendency to give socially approved responses is more than a methodological artifact. However, we do not see it as a personality trait characterized by the need for social approval. We conceptualize the tendency to give socially approved responses as an interaction strategy char