Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)

Abstract

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a widely utilized 10-item instrument designed to measure global self-esteem. Respondents rate statements using a four-point Likert-type scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Although initially conceptualized as a unidimensional measure, research often interprets the RSES through a two-factor structure: self-competence (instrumental value) and self-liking (intrinsic self-value).

The scale is praised for its robust psychometric properties, demonstrating high internal consistency and excellent test-retest reliability. While high self-esteem has traditionally been sought after, contemporary psychological perspectives suggest that its benefits are primarily restricted to enhanced initiative and happiness, noting potential social costs related to increased competitiveness and reduced concern for group well-being (Crocker & Park, 2004). Higher RSES scores are consistently associated with protective factors against mood and anxiety disorders.

Keywords

Self-Esteem, Global Self-Esteem, Self-Competence, Self-Liking, Psychometrics, Affect, Personality Scale, RSES, Self-Concept.

Authors

Morris Rosenberg

Purpose

The primary purpose of the RSES is to provide a concise, reliable, and valid measure of an individual’s global self-worth or their overall positive and negative feelings about the self. It is designed to capture stable, trait-based self-esteem, although some studies suggest scores may also reflect temporal affect.

The scale is widely employed in research across psychology, sociology, and mental health fields to screen for low self-esteem, which is often negatively correlated with disorders of mood and anxiety. The resulting scores allow researchers and clinicians to compare an individual’s self-esteem level against established population norms.

Construct

The RSES fundamentally measures global self-esteem, defined as an individual’s overall subjective emotional evaluation of their own worth. It captures a general attitude toward the self, rather than specific domain-based evaluations.

While often treated as a unidimensional construct, the RSES items can be analyzed to reflect two distinct, yet correlated, facets: Self-Competence (SC), which reflects instrumental self-value (e.g., feeling capable and efficacious); and Self-Liking (SL), which reflects intrinsic self-value (e.g., feeling good and socially relevant). These two 5-item subscales provide a more nuanced understanding of how individuals evaluate their worth (Schmitt & Allik, 2005).

Validity

The RSES demonstrates good predictive validity, suggesting that scores reliably forecast outcomes related to self-worth, mental health, and social behavior (Schmitt & Allik, 2005). The correlation between higher self-esteem scores and reduced incidence of mood and anxiety disorders further reinforces its clinical relevance and validity.

Furthermore, the scale’s widespread acceptance across diverse cultural and demographic groups, having been administered simultaneously in 53 nations, supports its robust cross-cultural validity. This broad application indicates that the underlying construct of global self-esteem measured by the RSES is largely universal.

Reliability

The RSES exhibits strong evidence of internal consistency and stability over time. Measures of internal coherence, such as the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, generally show high values, with a reported mean (M) of 0.81, confirming the items consistently measure the same underlying construct.

Excellent stability is supported by high test-retest reliability, with correlations ranging between 0.85 and 0.88 over a two-week period. Additionally, the scale demonstrates excellent internal consistency based on the Guttman scale analysis, yielding a coefficient of reproducibility of 0.92, indicating high internal coherence among the items.

Factor Analysis

Although the RSES was initially developed as a unidimensional instrument measuring global self-esteem, subsequent factor analysis studies, particularly those conducted by Schmitt and Allik (2005), support a two-factor structure. This bifactorial model is highly utilized in modern research.

This structure separates the 10 items into two distinct, yet highly intercorrelated, five-item factors: Self-Competence (measuring instrumental success and capability) and Self-Liking (measuring intrinsic worth and social relevance). While the scale is often scored globally, utilizing these subscales can offer deeper insights into the specific components driving an individual’s overall self-regard.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, Psychometrics

Format: 10 items scored on a 4-point Likert-type scale (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree). Scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating higher self-esteem.

Language Available: Widely translated and validated across numerous languages (original English).

Population Group: General population, used across clinical and non-clinical samples.

Age Group: Adolescents (original target population for development) and adults.

Population Details: Standardized on various samples globally. Sinclair et al. (2010) reported norms based on a large adult sample (N = 503) with an average age of 44.7 years (SD = 16.3). The average total self-esteem score in this sample was 22.62 (SD = 5.8).

Test Methodology: The total score is calculated by summing the scores of all 10 items. Items 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are reverse-scored (0=SA, 3=SD) to ensure that a higher score consistently reflects higher self-esteem. Interpretation often includes four measures: Total Self-Esteem, Self-Competence (SC), Self-Liking (SL), and the difference score (SC-SL).

Keywords

Global Self-Esteem, RSES, Self-Concept, Self-Worth, Psychometric Properties, Mood Disorders, Trait Measures.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The RSES was developed by Morris Rosenberg in 1965. The scale is generally considered to be in the public domain for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes, meaning no fee or explicit permission is typically required for academic use. Users should, however, verify rights for any commercial applications.

Reference’s

• Rosenberg, M. (1965). Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSE). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Measures Package, 61.
• Sinclair SJ; Blais MA; Gansler DA; Sandberg E; Bistis K; LoCicero A. Psychometric properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: overall and across demographic groups living within the United States. Eval Health Prof;33(1):56-80, 2010.
• 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(4), 623.
• Crocker, J., & Park, L. E. (2004). The costly pursuit of self-esteem. Psychological Bulletin; Psychological Bulletin, 130(3), 392.
• 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), 1-44.

Items of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)

Instructions: Below is a list of statements dealing with your general feelings about yourself. There are four possible answers for each of the 10 questions, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Tap the box to indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with each statement.