Discover how honest you are with yourself using this scientifically validated psychological assessment
This test is based on the Self-Deception Enhancement Scale (SDE), developed by Dr. Delroy L. Paulhus in 1984 and refined through decades of psychological research. It's one of the most widely used measures of unconscious self-deception in academic psychology.
The SDE is part of the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) and has been validated across thousands of participants worldwide. It measures your tendency to give self-reports that are honest but positively biased.
Self-deception enhancement refers to the unconscious tendency to see oneself in an overly positive light. Unlike impression management (conscious lying), this scale detects genuine self-beliefs that are unrealistically positive.
This scale is used in:
Higher scores indicate greater self-deceptive enhancement (less self-awareness), while lower scores suggest more realistic self-perception. Scores are compared to population norms established through decades of research.
For complete technical details, see: Paulhus, D. L. (2002). Socially desirable responding: The evolution of a construct. In H. Braun, D. Jackson, & D. Wiley (Eds.), The role of constructs in psychological and educational measurement (pp. 67-88). Erlbaum.
What This Means: Your score reflects your tendency toward self-deceptive enhancement - the unconscious inclination to view yourself in an overly positive light.
Scientific Context: This is not about conscious lying or impression management. Instead, it measures genuine self-beliefs that may be unrealistically positive. Everyone has some degree of self-deception - it can even be psychologically protective in small amounts.
Important Note: This assessment is for educational and self-reflection purposes. For clinical or therapeutic applications, please consult with a qualified mental health professional.