Defensivenessskaalat

Defensivenessskaalat is a psychometric instrument proposed to measure the degree of defensiveness in self-report data. It operationalizes the idea that individuals may present themselves in a protective or overly favorable light, rendering self-assessments vulnerable to bias. The scale typically comprises a series of statements rated on a Likert-type scale, with some items phrased in the opposite direction to help control for response bias. A higher total score indicates greater defensiveness or susceptibility to social desirability bias, while lower scores suggest more direct self-disclosure and fewer self-protective tendencies.

Construction and scoring typically involve multiple items designed to capture tendencies toward impression management, denial of faults, and avoidance of sensitive topics. Items are aggregated into a total score, with certain items reverse-scored to reduce acquiescence effects. The interpretation of scores is contextual, often requiring comparison with normative or criterion groups and consideration of the testing environment.

Development and validity discussions place defensivenessskaalat within broader debates on self-report bias. Preliminary validation work reports acceptable internal consistency and some evidence of convergent validity with established social desirability measures. Discriminant validity can vary by sample and context, underscoring the need for careful use alongside other assessment methods.

Applications encompass clinical assessment, organizational research, and psychosocial studies where understanding the impact of defensiveness on self-reports is important. Limitations include cultural and linguistic variability in response styles, potential overlap with related constructs such as impression management, and ethical considerations related to labeling respondents as defensive. As with similar tools, defensivenessskaalat is best used in conjunction with objective measures and collateral information. See also social desirability bias and self-report bias.