The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to evaluate the scaling assumptions and component structure of and present normative data for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) using a sample of US adults (N = 503), both overall and across demographic subgroups and (b) to provide new data regarding the relationship between the two RSES subcomponents of self-competence (SC) and self-liking (SL), and other demographic and clinical variables. As hypothesized, all psychometric tests supported the underlying structure of the RSES. Overall RSES scores varied significantly across age, racial and ethnic, education, employment status, income, and marital status groups. Furthermore, differences between SC and SL were also found across groups differing in gender, age, employment status, and marital status groups. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed, with an emphasis on clinical relevance.
Antony, M.M., Bieling, P.J., Cox, B.J., Enns, M.W., & Swinson, R.P. ( 1998). Psychometric properties of the 42-item and 21-item versions of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) in clinical groups and a community sample. Psychological Assessment, 10, 176-181.
2.
Baumeister, R.F., Campbell, J.D., Krueger, J.I., & Vohs, K.D. ( 2003). Does high self-esteem cause better performance, interpersonal success, happiness, or healthier lifestyles?Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 1-44.
3.
Butler, R.J., & Gasson, S.L. ( 2006). Development of the self-image profile for adults (SIP-AD) . European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 22, 52-58.
4.
Byrne, B.M. ( 1996). Measuring self concept across the lifespan: Issues and instrumentation. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
5.
Campbell, D.T., & Fiske, D.W. ( 1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81-105.
6.
Corwyn, R.F. ( 2000). The factor structure of global self-esteem among adolescents and adults. Journal of Research in Personality, 34, 357-379.
7.
Crocker, J., & Park, L.E. ( 2004). The costly pursuit of self-esteem. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 392-414.
8.
Cronbach, L.J. ( 1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests . Psychometrika, 16, 297-334.
9.
Gandek, B., Sinclair, S.J., & Ware, J.E. ( 2001). The participation measure for post-acute care (PM-PAC) . Boston, MA: Health Assessment Lab.
10.
Gandek, B., Sinclair, S.J., Jette, A.M., & Ware, J.E. ( 2007). Development and initial psychometric evaluation of the participation measure for post-acute care (PM-PAC). American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 86, 57-51.
11.
Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., Rosenblatt, A., Burling, J., Lyon, D., et al. (1992). Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 913-922.
12.
Howard, K.I., & Forehand, G.G. (1962). A method for correcting item-total correlations for the effect of relevant item inclusion. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 22, 731-735.
13.
Hughes, R.B., Robinson-Whelen, S., Taylor, H.B., Swedlund, N., & Nosek, M.A. ( 2004). Enhancing self-esteem in women with physical disabilities . Rehabilitation Psychology, 49, 295-302.
14.
Kubany, E.S., Hill, E.E., Owens, J.A., Iannce-Spencer, C., McCaig, M.A., Tremayne, K.J., et al. (2004). Cognitive trauma therapy for battered women with PTSD (CTT-BW). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 72, 3-18.
15.
Lightsey, O.R., Burke, M., Ervin, A., Henderson, D., & Yee, C. ( 2006). Generalized self-efficacy, self-esteem, and negative affect. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 38, 72-80.
16.
Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond, P.F. ( 1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) with the beck depression and anxiety inventories. Behavioural Research and Therapy, 33, 335-343.
17.
Lovibond, P.F. ( 1998). Long-term stability of depression, anxiety, and stress syndromes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 3, 520-526.
18.
Maslow, A. ( 1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-396.
19.
McHorney, C.A., Ware, J.E., & Raczek, A.E. ( 1993). The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36):II. Psychometric and clinical tests of validity in measuring physical and mental health constructs. Medical Care, 31, 247-263.
20.
Neustadt, E., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Furnham, A. ( 2006). The relationship between personality traits, self-esteem, and attachment at work. Journal of Individual Differences , 27, 208-217.
21.
Nunnally, J.C., & Bernstein, I.H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
22.
Rivers, D. ( 2006). Sample matching: representative sampling from internet panels. Palo Alto, CA: Polimetrix, Inc.
23.
Rosenberg, M. ( 1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. NJPrinceton University Press.
24.
Schmitt, D.P., & Allik, J. ( 2005). Simultaneous administration of the Rosenberg self esteem scale in 53 nations: Exploring the universal and culture-specific features of global self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 89, 623-642.
25.
Steiger, J. & Lind, J. ( 1980). Statistically-based tests for the number of common factors . Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society, Iowa City, IA.
26.
Tafarodi, R.W., & Milne, A.B. ( 2002). Decomposing global self-esteem. Journal of Personality, 70, 443-483.
27.
Torrey, W.C., Mueser, K., McHugo, G.H., & Drake, R.E. ( 2000). Self-esteem as an outcome measure in studies of vocational rehabilitation for adults with severe mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 51, 229-233.
28.
Twenge, J.M., & Campbell, W.K. (2001). Age and birth cohort differences in self-esteem: A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5, 321-344.
29.
Vignoles, V.L., Regalia, C., Manzi, C., Golledge, J., & Scabini, E. ( 2006). Beyond self-esteem: Influence of multiple motives on identity construction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 90, 308-333.
30.
Ware, J.E., Harris, W.J., Gandek, B.L., Rogers, B.W., & Reese, P.R. ( 1997). MAP-R multitrait/multi-item analysis program - revised. Boston, MA: The Health Assessment Lab.
31.
Ware, J.E., Kosinski, M., Dewey, J.E., & Gandek, B. ( 2001). How to score and interpret single item health status measures: A manual for users of the SF-8 health survey. Lincoln, RI: QualityMetric, Inc.
