Glossary / Lexicon

Purposeful distortion is when the subjects "purposely" give false information in a survey which may "distort" the results.

Purposeful distortion in psychology refers to the intentional manipulation or falsification of information, often for personal gain or to avoid negative consequences. This behavior can occur in various settings, such as in clinical assessments, self-report questionnaires, or employment screenings.

Here are some examples of purposeful distortion:

1. In clinical assessments: A patient may intentionally underreport their symptoms to avoid a diagnosis or receive less intensive treatment. For example, someone with depression may deny feeling suicidal to avoid being hospitalized.

2. In self-report questionnaires: A job applicant may exaggerate their skills or qualifications to increase their chances of being hired. For example, someone applying for a job as a computer programmer may claim to have expertise in a programming language they are not familiar with.

3. In employment screenings: A candidate may provide false information, such as education or employment history, to appear more qualified for a job. For example, someone may falsely claim to have a degree from a prestigious university.

4. In forensic evaluations: A defendant in a criminal case may fake symptoms of mental illness to be declared unfit to stand trial. For example, someone accused of a crime may falsely claim to hear voices to avoid being tried.

5. In research studies: Participants may intentionally alter their responses in self-report questionnaires to influence the results of a study. For example, someone may answer questions about substance use more positively to make it appear as if the intervention was more effective.

Purposeful distortion can have serious consequences, such as incorrect diagnoses, ineffective treatments, or poor job performance. Researchers and clinicians use various methods to detect and minimize purposeful distortion, such as validity scales in self-report questionnaires, cross-checking information from multiple sources, or using objective measures rather than self-reports.