TY - JOUR PY - 1995// TI - Social desirability scales and theories of suicide: Correlations with alienation and self-consciousness JO - Personality and individual differences A1 - Watson, P.J. A1 - Milliron, J.Trevor A1 - Morris, Ronald J. SP - 701 EP - 711 VL - 18 IS - 6 N2 - Edwards but not Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scores influence the predictability of suicidal intent. If this effect occurs because the Edwards Scale records a substantive trait rather than a response set, then it should display predictable associations with variables that are relevant to theories of suicide. In line with the work of Durkheim (Suicide, 1897/1951) and Baumeister (Psychological Review, 97, 90-113 1990), the present studies revealed that Edwards and Marlowe-Crowne scales correlated with greater social integration, healthier self-functioning, and reduced self-consciousness. Many of these outcomes were more robust for the Edwards Scale, but the Edwards Scale also was more internally reliable. Overall, these data supported the Durkheimian conclusion that if certain forms of suicide result from society's insufficient influence on the individual, then social desirability scales may operationalize society's sufficient representation within the personality.

LA - SN - 0191-8869 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(95)00003-O ID - ref1 ER -