Subjects' self-reports often indicate that they are healthier,happier,and less prejudiced than other types of evidence would suggest.What is the most likely explanation for these sorts of results

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Social desirability bias refers to the tendency for individuals to present themselves in a favorable light, leading to over-reporting of positive attributes and under-reporting of negative attributes. This bias is often seen in self-reports, where individuals may perceive it as socially desirable to report high levels of health, happiness, and lack of prejudice, even if this does not correspond with reality. Response sets and faulty memory may also contribute to self-report biases, but social desirability bias is the most likely explanation in this case. Experimenter bias would not be relevant to self-report biases.

Subjects' Self-Reports Often Indicate That They Are Healthier,happier,and Less Prejudiced