Evaluación de deseabilidad social en el peritaje psicológico

Abstract

This research aims to find out how forensic psychology experts understand the phenomenon of social desirability and the implications that this phenomenon has had their professional practice, through a phenomenological interpretive and discourse analysis that seeks to identify assessment strategies of the impact of social desirability and how to lessen that phenomenon on the results of expert psychological evaluations. There were conducted individual interviews over ten field experts. The findings were contrasted with scientific literature to identify similarities and differences. There were identified instruments for evaluating social desirability, however, the experts consulted reported not using that kind of tools on their usual practice; on the contrary, he presented other evaluation strategies such as triangulation of information, validity scales of personality tests, knowledge of victimology and criminological profiles, and the use of interview techniques. As regard to mitigation techniques, rapport’s establishment, confrontation and strategic administration of instruments are identified. the phenomenon of social desirability has been considered. The evaluation of the personality construct is considered connected to the evaluation. There were discussed age and gender variables, which are considered non-determining. To conclude it is needed to carry out a comprehensive process of evaluation and contrast of information and not to be limited to one instrument or a scale.