Measuring Social Desirability Responding. a Short Version of Paulhus’ Bidr 6

The aim of this research was to devise a short version of the BIDR 6 scale, a well-known measure of the two main dimensions of socially desirable responding: self-deceptive enhancement and impression management. Three correlational studies are described, all conducted with Italian respondents. In the first, a sample of non-student adults and a sample of university students were involved. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analysis were applied. Invariance of the factor structure was tested via the multi-sample procedure. A 16-item reliable version was achieved and the factor structure, comparing both non-student adults vs. university students and male vs. female samples, turned out to be invariant. Differences for age, gender, and level of education were addressed. In the second study, data were collected by means of a Web-based questionnaire. Factorial structure and reliability of the BIDR 6 short version scale found support. Gender differences were addressed and discussed. In the third study the scale was administered in an organizational context along with internal Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy, Alienation, Hopefulness scales, and a short version of the Crowne and Marlowe’s Social Desirability scale. Again, the 16-item BIDR 6 turned out to be reliable, the twolatent factor structure was endorsed by data, and the correlations with all the other measures supported its validity.