Abstract:

Several findings within typological research give rise to the suspicion that Big-Five-based prototypes are highly influenced by social desirability (SD). In particular concerning the resilient type, these findings tend to suggest that this personality type is actually nothing more than an artifact of a socially desirable response bias. To test this assumption, the degree of SD influence on the NEO types was compared with the degree of influence on the NEO dimensions in 2 studies (N1 = 326; N2 = 119). It was found that the Big-Five types, in particular the resilient type, were strongly influenced by social desirability - but not to a greater degree than the NEO dimensions upon which the types are based. So, the SD affection of types merely reflects the SD affection of the dimensions upon which the types are based. Future implications for typological prototype research are discussed in light of these results.