Desirability Associated with the Expression of Self-Consciousness in a French Population

The most frequently used scale for measuring self-consciousness is Fenigstein et al.'s Self-Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ; 1975), which measures dispositional self-consciousness along three dimensions: private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety. This study is a replication of a previous study (Davies, 1985), which investigated the dimensions of private and public self-consciousness. In particular, we were interested in the effects of impression-management response biases associated with the SCQ. Our participants, who were students in technical training or nursing school, completed the SCQ after having received instructions to give a good impression of themselves, a bad impression, or to respond honestly. The results highlight the desirability associated with the expression of various dimensions of self-consciousness.