Traits and Distorted Symptom Presentation: a Scoping Review

Abstract Are personality traits related to symptom overreporting and/or underreporting? With this question in mind, we evaluated studies from 1979 2020 ( k = 55), which were linked scores on stand-alone validity tests, including tests (SVTs) and measures of socially desirable responding (SDR) supernormality. As 14), associations with depression, alexithymia, apathy, dissociation, fantasy proneness varied widely weak strong r s .27 .79). For underreporting 41), inconsistent links − .43 .63) found narcissism, whereas alexithymia dissociation often associated lower SDR tendencies, although effect sizes small. Taken together, the extant literature mainly consists cross-sectional single contexts, mostly offering correlations that do not necessarily reflect causation. What field lacks is an overarching theory relating reporting. Longitudinal involving a broad range traits, samples, incentives would be informative. Until such have been done, are best viewed as modest concomitants distortion.