Concept · Cognitive Bias: Social and group biases
Social desirability bias
Origin: Edwards, 1953
Biological Parallel
Subordinate chimpanzees conceal food discoveries from dominants, eating secretly rather than honestly signaling resource location. This strategic misrepresentation evolved because honest signaling would trigger theft by higher-ranking individuals—the cost of transparency exceeds benefits. Social desirability bias is ancestral impression management: organisms evolved to display behaviors that minimize social cost and preserve group membership, even when displays contradict private states.