GENDER AND SOCIALLY DESIRABLE RESPONDING AS MODERATORS OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract

Pelham, Koole, Hardin, Hetts, Seah, and DeHart (2005) found that implicit and explicit selfesteem correlated more strongly among women than men. The goal of this study was to replicate this finding and test whether it was due to gender differences in socially desirable responding (SDR). Ninety-nine German students completed measures of implicit self-esteem (Implicit Association Test and name-letter technique), explicit self-esteem, and SDR. Contrary to the Pelham et al. study, the implicit-explicit correlation was stronger for men than women. SDR (especially its self-deception component) moderated the implicit-explicit correlation independently from gender, albeit in different directions for the two implicit measures.