RETRACTED: Does Social Desirability Confound the Assessment of Self-Reported Measures of Well-Being and Metacognitive Efficiency in Young and Older Adults? (Retracted article. See vol. 36, pg. 394, 2013)

Social desirability is a multicomponent personality trait referring to the tendency of individuals to regulate their answers to establish a positive impression, avoid criticism, or satisfy a need for social approval. This study investigated the role played by the socially desirable response style assessed with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale on self-rated measures of affect (Center of Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale), metacognitive efficiency (Sensitivity to Memory Questionnaire and Cognitive Failures Questionnaire), and self-perceived psychological wellness (Psychological Wellness and Aging Questionnaire) in a sample composed of young (M = 24.6 years), old (M = 69.4 years), and very old (M = 81.9 years) adults counterbalanced by gender and education ( 8 years versus > 8 years). Results revealed that social desirability alone predicted measures of affect and emotional competencies, and contributed to predicting personal satisfaction, general perceived wellness, and self-rated cognitive efficiency. Overall, the present outcomes suggest clinical psychologists should pay attention to the crucial interference of social desirability in assessing wellness even in late adulthood, that is, in a developmental phase thought to be mainly characterized by reduced control of physical and psychological functions.