Social desirability bias: why people answer personality tests the way they wish they were
One of the best-known problems in self-report research affects every personality test. This note explains it and how it can shape Enneagram results.
Definition
Social desirability bias is the tendency to answer questions in a way that presents yourself favourably. In personality testing, it can mean agreeing more with statements that sound admirable, such as being generous or principled, and less with statements that sound unflattering, such as being controlling or envious. It is not necessarily deliberate; people often believe the favourable version is accurate.
How the bias can shape an Enneagram result
| Statement style | Likely effect | Types that may be affected |
|---|---|---|
| Admirable traits (caring, principled, calm) | Over-endorsed | Types 1, 2, 9 may be inflated |
| Unflattering traits (envious, controlling, avoidant) | Under-endorsed | Types 3, 4, 8 may be deflated |
| Culturally valued traits (confidence, achievement) | Varies by culture | Types 3, 7, 8 |
| Culturally discouraged traits (anger, self-promotion) | Under-endorsed in some groups | Types 8, 3 |
How test designers try to reduce it
General overviews of psychological testing describe several strategies: wording items neutrally, using forced-choice formats that pair equally desirable statements, including validity checks and comparing self-reports with reports from others. Studies comparing self and informant reports of personality find that the two perspectives agree substantially but not perfectly, and research comparing the two finds them related without being interchangeable, so a mismatch between your result and a friend's view is ordinary rather than evidence that one of you is wrong. Using both views can offset the blind spots of either one.
The Enneagram in particular
Enneagram descriptions include both admirable and uncomfortable features for every type, which can help. But many online Enneagram tests use short statements with obvious desirability differences. Combined with the limited evidence base described in the 2021 systematic review by Hook and colleagues, that makes it sensible to read results with some scepticism about flattering scores.
How to answer more accurately
- Answer for how you actually behave, not how you intend to.
- Ask whether a close friend would agree with each answer.
- Be especially honest on statements that feel unflattering.
- Take the test when you are not trying to make a good impression, such as outside a work context.
Four things that move a self-report score without anything about you changing
| Influence | What it does to the answers | What reduces it |
|---|---|---|
| Current mood | Recent weeks colour how you rate a general tendency | Answer for the last few months, and note what was happening |
| Reference group | 'I am organised' means organised compared with whom | Fix one comparison group before you start and keep it |
| Presenting yourself well | Items with an obviously better answer pull toward it | Answer about behaviour you can picture, not about intentions |
| Which role you had in mind | Work self and home self give different profiles | Pick one context, and say which one when you share the result |
Why this matters more for the Enneagram than for a trait measure
A trait questionnaire mostly asks about behaviour you can observe in yourself: whether you keep a tidy desk, whether you enjoy meeting new people. An Enneagram questionnaire asks about motives - what you are trying to achieve, what you are trying to avoid - and motives are exactly the part of yourself you have the least reliable view of.
That is the structural reason results shift between tests and over time. It is also why a friend's reaction to your result is worth more here than it would be for a trait score: they cannot see your motive either, but they can tell you what your behaviour looks like from outside.
Related questions
Can you fake a personality test?+−
Yes, most self-report tests can be steered. Forced-choice formats and validity checks make it harder.
Does social desirability bias mean the result is wrong?+−
Not necessarily. It means some scores may be shifted, so compare results with real behaviour.
Which Enneagram types are most affected?+−
Types with socially admired descriptions may be over-reported and those with less admired descriptions under-reported, but this varies by person and culture.
Is this bias the same as lying?+−
No. It is often unintentional and reflects how people prefer to see themselves.
Continue exploring
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Sources and further reading
- NCBI Bookshelf: Overview of Psychological Testing
- PubMed Central: Psychometric Comparison of Self- and Informant-Reports of Personality
- PubMed Central: Are Informant Reports of Personality More Internally Consistent Than Self Reports?
- PubMed: The Enneagram: A systematic review of the literature and directions for future research