Picture-“Identification,” Self-Report,and Social Desirability Responses to Autobiographical and Non-Autobiographical Statements 1

Abstract

The picture-identification technique (PI) requires S to assign statements to unfamiliar facial photographs; PI is scored for variables represented by the statements according to whether the faces are liked or disliked. Some users seem to assume that the technique reveals something about the person's "true" self. Other users have assumed that it indicates something about what S considers desirable. To elucidate the issue, 37 5s (16 female, 21 male) performed three operations on two kinds of statements. The three operations were: PI, self-report (SR), and social desirability ratings (SD). The two kinds of statements were: (1) statements from a standard inventory and (2) statements made by Ss in a class-assigned autobiography but made to look like part of the standard inventory. Results showed that PI reflects both SR and SD. In cases in which SD and SR conflict (i.e., S finds a statement true of himself but not desirable or false of himself and desirable), PI is more likely to indicate SD. In general, 5s tended to endorse desirable items and reject the undesirable; however, 5 was much more likely to endorse an item which he considered undesirable if that item were taken from his own autobiography. Finally, other 5s rated more of the autobiographical items as desirable than their authors did.