Paulhus Deception Scales

Complements for the PDS

PDS Paulhus Deception Scales

BarOn Emotional Quotient–Inventory (BarOn EQ–i®) Coping with Health Injuries and Problems (CHIP) Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) Dyadict Adjustment Scale (DAS) Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL–R) Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI) Personality Self-Portrait (PSP) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ) Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI–C) System Assessment–45 Questionnaire (SA–45) Test of Memory Malingering

Measures the tendency to give socially desirable responses For pricing and ordering information: Website: www.mhs.com Email: customerservice@mhs.com In the U.S.: 1-800-456-3003 In Canada: 1-800-268-6011 In the UK: 0845 601 7603 International: +1-416-492-2627 North American Fax: 1-888-540-4484 UK Fax: 0845 601 7604 International Fax:+1-416-492-3343 For research: r&d@mhs.com Additional copies of this document and sample reports of available software versions may be obtained from our web site. PDS 05 05 Printed in Canada

Paulhus Deception Scales Delroy L. Paulhus, Ph.D. Aim

Norming

The Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS; formerly the Balanced

The means and standard deviations for four important comparison

most extreme responses) eliminates the distinction between

Inventory of Desirable Responding, BIDR) is a questionnaire that

groups are provided in the table below. The first is a large adult

low- and moderate-range responses and emphasizes instead the

backgrounds in psychology and medicine, MHS develops accu-

measures the tendency of a client to give socially desirable

sample from the general population. It includes American and

distinction between typical responses and those indicating extreme

rate translations of assessments published by MHS as well as by

responses on self-report instruments. In contrast to a wide variety of

Canadian urban and rural respondents ranging in age from 21 to

claims of confidence. Thus, this scoring provides some assurance

other publishers. Many of our products are available in a variety of

measures that have been used to index socially desirable respond-

75 years. The second is a large college student sample

that overconfidence rather than confidence is being tapped.

languages. The PDS are available in English and French

ing, the PDS are multidimensional scales. Based on substantial

collected over a period of ten years from both Canadian and

theoretical and empirical analyses, the PDS separate the scale

American universities. The third is a large sample of inmates from

content into two subscales: Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE: the

Canadian minimum- and maximum-security prisons. Finally, the

tendency to give honest but inflated self-descriptions) and

fourth is a military sample consisting of junior U.S. Navy recruits

Impression Management (IM: the tendency to give inflated

tested six months into their training. (Please refer to the PDS

self-descriptions because of contextual factors). Thus, the PDS

Manual for references.)

captures the two principal forms of socially desirable responding.

Norms for Several Typical Populations Population Mean (SD)

This approach accepts that respondents may display only one kind of desirable responding, or neither, or both.

The dichotomous scoring procedure (assigning points only for the

N

SDE

IM

Total

2.2 (2.3)

6.7 (4.0)

8.9 (3.7)

as a response set and a response style. The PDS has extensive

College Students

289

2.1 (2.5)

5.3 (3.5)

7.4 (3.4)

empirical confirmation of reliability and validity, and is appropri-

Prison Entrants

603

2.2 (2.7)

5.3 (3.6)

7.5 (3.5)

ate for both clinical and nonclinical samples. The measure has

Military Recruits

124

2.2 (3.8)

6.3 (3.9)

8.5 (4.4)

educational and human resource settings and can provide an index for comparing the power of different administration conditions to elicit desirable responding. The scales are also useful in

measurement at a university level or has received equivalent documented training. Professionals with advanced training in psychological assessment and professionals from related disciplines that adhere to relevant professional standards must assume responsibility for the use, interpretation, and communication of PDS results.

Forms. This paper-and-pencil format is designed for easy recording, scoring, and profiling of responses. No scoring templates are necessary; the respondent’s answers automatically transfer through to the

The PDS is also available in software format, and can be launched

asked to rate the propositions on a 5-point scale from “Not True” to “Very True” indicating the degree to which each statement applies to them. Profiles can be completed to compare the

User Qualification

that, as a minimum, the user has completed courses in tests and

The PDS is available in handscored format with MHS QuikScore™

PDS items are presented as 40 statements. Respondents are

The Impression Management (IM) scale represents a well-known

professionals and paraprofessionals. B-level qualification requires

Format

concealed scoring page.

instrument development and evaluation.

nurses, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and other trained

check. Case histories are provided as illustrative examples. The

Instrument

respondent’s results to the four normative samples.

The PDS may be easily administered and scored by counselors,

cutoff points on the IM scale are provided for use as a validity

American fifth-grade reading level.

441

personality diagnostic instruments. The PDS may also be used in

detailed and, to permit detection of conscious dissimulation,

ment, including a readability test that indicated a North

General Population

distorted their responses when completing other clinical and/or

instrument should be administered. Interpretation information is

manual also describes the history and development of the instru-

The PDS is designed to assess socially desirable responding both

been used successfully to identify individuals who might have

The PDS Manual outlines the scale items and explains how the

category of social desirability aimed at the crude form of dissimulation known as faking or lying. Respondents are asked to rate the degree to which they typically perform various desirable, but uncommon, behaviors (e.g., “I always obey laws even if I’m

from PsychManager: Your Professional and Personal Organizer. PDS Windows®-based software enables you to administer and score

sive lack of insight.

at translations@mhs.com

Scientific Validation Construct validity issues including evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of each subscale, are explored in the PDS Manual. Nine supportive studies are summarized demonstrating that the SDE scores are positively associated with objective indicators of distortion (i.e., overconfidence, hindsight bias, over-claiming, and self-inflation). The SDE scores also exhibit positive correlation with self-report and peer-rated measures of adjustment, whereas IM scores show minimal correlation. Scores on the IM scale, however, are more sensitive than SDE scores to situational demands for self-presentation.

Supporting Literature Paulhus, D. L., & John, O. P. (1998). Egoistic and moralistic biases: The interplay of self-deceptive mechanisms with basic traits and

Paulhus, D. L. (1998). Interpersonal and intrapsychic adaptiveness

forms into the program for fast and reliable scoring. The software generates a report for the administrator, giving statistical, textual, and graphical results and interpretations. The software format offers additional flexibility: A 7-point response format and continuous scoring can be used as an alternative administrative/scoring

assessments, which is advantageous since the administration of

about. This measure taps self-deception in the sense of a perva-

other languages, please contact the MHS Translations Department

By using the QuikEntry mode, you can enter responses from paper

The Self-Deceptive Enhancement (SDE) scale represents an

even when queried about things they could not possibly know

(Canadian). For information about the availability of the PDS in

motives. Journal of Personality, 66, 1025–1060.

option. The alternate response format allows the administrator to

1998). For example, respondents consistently claim to “know it all,”

Using our worldwide network of over 400 qualified translators with

PDS administrations while the respondent is seated at a computer.

unlikely to get caught”).

unconscious bias closely related to narcissism (Paulhus & John,

Translations

choose the format that is more consistent with the format of other the PDS is often integrated or blended with other assessments. Although the dichotomous scoring of the PDS is recommended, practitioners may prefer to score the PDS items as continuous (i.e., using the 1–7-point or 1–5-point responses). With the continuous option, the possible scores range from 20 to 140 for 7-point scales and 20 to 100 for 5-point scales.

of trait self-enhancement: A mixed blessing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1197–1208.