Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - February 2011 - Volume 34, Issue 01  

Open Peer Commentary

Self-deception, social desirability, and psychopathology

Antonio Pretia1 and Paola Miottoa2

a1 Centro Medico Genneruxi, Cagliari, Italy, and Chair of Clinical Psychology, University of Cagliari, Italy. apreti@tin.it

a2 Department of Mental Health, ULSS 7, Conegliano (TV), 31015, Italy. miottopaola@yahoo.it

Abstract

Social desirability can be conceived as a proxy for self-deception, as it involves a positive attribution side and a denial side. People with mental disorders have lower scores on measures of social desirability, which could depend on cognitive load caused by symptoms. This suggests that self-deception is an active strategy and not merely a faulty cognitive process.

(Online publication February 03 2011)

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