Low Self-Esteem—Weinberger Adjustment Inventory

Abstract

The Low Self-Esteem subscale is a specialized component derived primarily from the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), designed to assess an individual’s fundamental perception of their personal worth and value. This instrument measures critical aspects of self-regard, specifically targeting negative self-beliefs and feelings of inadequacy, which are closely associated with the broader dimension of psychological distress defined within the WAI framework. It consists of seven items, some adapted directly from Weinberger’s original Distress Scale, and is administered to youths who respond using varied 5-point Likert Scale formats.

Keywords

Low Self-Esteem, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory, Self-Worth, Youth Assessment, Psychological Distress, Adolescent Screening, Self-Perception, Psychometrics.

Authors

Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D., George E. Schwartz (for foundational work on the WAI).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Low Self-Esteem subscale is to quantify the degree to which an individual, specifically a youth, holds negative or uncertain views about their own capabilities and inherent value. By measuring self-perception, the scale acts as an important indicator within comprehensive psychological assessments, often utilized in studies linking personal adjustment and negative affectivity to external behaviors, such as violence-related attitudes. The instrument seeks to capture the internal experience of self-doubt and dissatisfaction.

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of Self-Esteem, focusing on the lower end of the continuum (Low Self-Esteem). This construct is defined as an individual’s enduring perception of their overall personal value, competence, and self-acceptance. Within the theoretical structure proposed by Weinberger and Schwartz (1990), this subscale loads heavily onto the superordinate dimension of Distress, which encompasses feelings of anxiety, depression, and generalized negative affect. High scores on this subscale are indicative of poor self-worth, a lack of self-confidence, and a desire to be different, reflecting maladjustment in the domain of self-evaluation.

Validity

The validity of the Low Self-Esteem subscale is fundamentally rooted in the extensive psychometric validation of the overall Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI). Studies establishing the WAI demonstrate strong evidence for construct validity, showing that the items designed to measure self-doubt and negative affect reliably cluster together, distinct from the WAI’s second main dimension (Restraint). The self-esteem items exhibit anticipated correlations with established measures of depression, anxiety, and generalized distress, confirming their ability to measure the intended aspect of self-evaluation and psychological malaise. Furthermore, its inclusion in compendiums for measuring violence-related behaviors suggests high utility in applied research settings, supporting its criterion validity.

Reliability

While specific reliability coefficients (e.g., test-retest reliability or Cronbach’s alpha) for this particular 7-item subscale are typically reported within specific research contexts utilizing the WAI, the core Distress dimension from which these items are drawn has consistently demonstrated high internal consistency (typically alpha coefficients above 0.85) across various samples of adolescents and adults. This suggests that the seven items measuring self-worth are highly homogeneous and reliable indicators of the underlying latent trait of Low Self-Esteem/Distress.

Factor Analysis

The items comprising the Low Self-Esteem subscale were originally developed and validated through factor analytic techniques applied to the larger WAI item pool. Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) consistently support a two-factor model of adjustment: Distress and Restraint. The self-esteem items (both the negatively and positively keyed statements) consistently load strongly onto the Distress factor, confirming that they are central indicators of emotional pain, self-doubt, and general negative emotionality, thereby establishing the scale’s structural integrity within the broader adjustment model.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychometrics Subscale

Format: Paper-and-pencil or digital questionnaire utilizing two distinct 5-point Likert scale response formats based on item phrasing.

Language Available: English (Original research language).

Population Group: Clinical and Non-Clinical populations.

Age Group: Youths (Adolescents).

Population Details: This instrument is specifically noted for its application in measuring violence-related attitudes and influences among youth populations, suggesting validation across diverse adolescent samples.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to indicate how true various statements are for them regarding their feelings about themselves. Items 1, 2, and 3 use a True/False continuum, while items 4, 5, 6, and 7 use a frequency continuum (Never/Always).

Keywords

Adolescent Psychology, Psychological Assessment, Self-Doubt, WAI, Construct Validity, Personality, Mental Health Screening.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not publicly available for Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D., Wellen Center, P.O. Box 22807, Beachwood, OH 44122. Tel: (440) 734-7861 #; Fax: (404) 378-5930.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

This scale is copyrighted. Permission for use must be obtained directly from the author, Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D., via the provided contact information. The foundational work for the parent inventory (WAI) was published in 1990. The specific inclusion of this subscale in the youth assessment compendium indicates its active use in research after 2000. The original PDF compendium source can be downloaded here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf.

Reference’s

• Weinberger DA, Schwartz GE. Distress and restraint as superordinate dimensions of adjustment: a typological perspective. Journal of Personality 1990;58(2):381-417.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools. (The scale appears on page 142 of this compendium).

Items of the Low Self-Esteem—Weinberger Adjustment Inventory

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. I’m not very sure of myself.
2. I really don’t like myself very much.
3. I sometimes feel so bad about myself that I wish I were somebody else.
4. I usually feel I’m the kind of person I want to be.
5. I feel I can do things as well as other people can.
6. I feel that I am a special or important person.
7. I feel that I am really good at things I try to do.

Scoring Protocol:

Items 1, 2, 3 are scored on the following 5-point scale (measuring truthfulness):

• False = 1
• Somewhat false = 2
• Not sure = 3
• Somewhat true = 4
• True = 5

Items 4, 5, 6, 7 are scored on the following 5-point scale (measuring frequency):

• Never = 1
• Not often = 2
• Sometimes = 3
• Often = 4
• Almost always = 5