The Bi-dimensional Impression Management Index (BIMI) : a measure of agentic and communal impression management

Although a number of impression management scales are available in the literature, none seem to be concerned with what kind of content is being managed. Previous research suggests that impression management can be separated into two fundamental types of content: agency and communion. Agentic impression management is the tendency to exaggerate one’s courage, leadership or intellectual status. Communal impression management is the tendency to exaggerate one’s claims to be a nice person and good citizen. In Study 1, we developed a new measure of impression management named the Bi-Dimensional Impression Management Index (BIMI): It comprises subscales designed specifically to tap into agentic and communal content. For each content area, we selected the 10 items that shifted the most from honest to fake-good conditions. The resulting subscales were relatively independent (r =.18) and preliminary statistics showed good reliabilities. In Study 2, the BIMI subscales were cross-validated in a new sample, showing good reliabilities and coherent personality correlates. The implications and applicability of the BIMI are discussed, specifically focusing on how this advance is relevant to the literature on faking behaviour.Arts, Faculty ofPsychology, Department ofGraduat