Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale – MCSDS
Measures the tendency of individuals to project favorable images of themselves during social interactions.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale – MCSDS was developed by Douglas P. Crowne & David Marlowe (1960). It is designed to measure Social Desirability. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 33 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Attribution, Denial.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Attribution | 1,2,4,7,8,13,16,17,18,20,21,24,25,26,27,29,31,33 | 18 |
| Denial | 3,5,6,9,10,11,12,14,15,19,22,23,28,30,32 | 15 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a dichotomous True/False format.
The scale includes 15 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 33. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low social desirability: 0 – 8
- Average social desirability: 9 – 19
- High social desirability: 20 – 33
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.