Motivational Interviewing: Reducing Social Desirability Bias and Stress Vulnerability in Adults

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in reducing social desirability bias and vulnerability to stress among adults. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 40 participants randomly assigned to either an intervention group (20 participants) or a control group (20 participants). The intervention group received ten 60-minute sessions of MI, while the control group received no intervention. Assessments for social desirability and vulnerability to stress were conducted at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a four-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measurements and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. At baseline, the intervention group had mean scores of 24.35 (SD = 3.12) for social desirability and 30.45 (SD = 5.27) for vulnerability to stress. Post-intervention, these scores significantly decreased to 18.75 (SD = 2.89) for social desirability and 21.30 (SD = 4.82) for vulnerability to stress. At the four-month follow-up, the intervention group maintained reduced scores of 19.10 (SD = 3.05) for social desirability and 22.05 (SD = 4.75) for vulnerability to stress. ANOVA results indicated significant between-subjects effects for social desirability (F(1, 38) = 92.45, p < .001) and vulnerability to stress (F(1, 38) = 105.92, p < .001). Bonferroni post-hoc tests confirmed significant reductions between baseline and post-intervention for both social desirability (mean difference = 5.60, p < .001) and vulnerability to stress (mean difference = 9.15, p < .001). Motivational Interviewing significantly reduces social desirability bias and vulnerability to stress among adults, with effects sustained over a four-month period. These findings support the use of MI in enhancing self-report accuracy and stress resilience in various therapeutic settings.