Research evidence suggests that people's public self-presentations may be biased in socially desirable directions. Using videotaped samples of couple interactions, this study examined the extent to which self-presentational bias occurs in such samples and the impact of such bias on the predictive validity of observed behavior. Each member of 239 couples rated the typicality of their partner's taped socially supportive and undermining behaviors. Separate multi-item, internally consistent measures of typicality of support and undermining were found. Analyses showed that these measures did not appear subject to bias and could identify subgroups that varied notably in the criterion validity of their observational data. These effects appeared for typicality of social support but not for typicality of social undermining. Partner ratings may be a promising tool for isolating invalid samples of observed behavior. One of the most challenging tasks in psychological research is the collection of valid observational data on people in normal social interactions. Such observations are usually interpreted as reflections of more general patterns of behavior because they occur in natural settings, and they are considered valid if they are such reflections. Scientists who conduct observational research, however, have long been aware that various characteristics of the research design can affect participants' behavior during such data collection. For example, Gottman (1979, p. 248) has found evidence that couples' behavior is more negative, with more negative affect reciprocity and less agreement, when assessed in the home rather than in a laboratory setting. A large body of evidence suggests that such effects may occur because people tend to bias their self-presentations of private behavior in socially desirable directions during public interac
