Social Desirability and Self-Reports of Physical Activity
Author Information
Author(s): Rik Crutzen, Anja S. Göritz
Primary Institution: CAPHRI, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Hypothesis
To what extent is social desirability associated with self-reported PA in web-based research?
Conclusion
This study does not throw doubt on the usefulness of the Internet as a medium to collect self-reports on physical activity.
Supporting Evidence
- Social desirability was not associated with self-reported physical activity in terms of significance and effect sizes.
- Socio-demographics did not moderate the effect of social desirability on self-reported physical activity.
- The online setting may increase respondents' perceived privacy, reducing the influence of social desirability.
Takeaway
The study found that people’s desire to look good did not affect how they reported their physical activity online.
Methodology
A longitudinal study using the Marlowe-Crowne Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire on a representative sample of the Dutch population.
Potential Biases
The study acknowledges that social desirability bias is not the only source of measurement error.
Limitations
The study did not explore the potential influence of social desirability in intervention contexts where pressure to overstate physical activity might be higher.
Participant Demographics
The sample consisted of 54% women, with a mean age of 47.1 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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