Hare Self-Esteem Scale (HSS)

Abstract

The Hare Self-Esteem Scale (HSS) is a widely utilized psychometric instrument developed by Bruce R. Hare in the 1970s, designed to measure area-specific Self-Esteem in adolescents and young adults. Unlike scales that focus solely on a global self-worth score, the HSS differentiates the construct across three critical social domains: Peer Self-Esteem, Home Self-Esteem, and School Self-Esteem. This 30-item scale (10 items per subscale) uses a 4-point Likert response format and has been instrumental in research examining the relationship between social background, contextual environment, and adolescent self-concept development.

Keywords

Self-Esteem, Adolescent Psychology, Area-Specific Self-Concept, Peer Relations, School Performance, Hare Scale, Psychological Assessment, Social Background.

Authors

Bruce R. Hare.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the HSS is to provide a nuanced and differentiated assessment of an individual’s self-concept as it manifests within specific social contexts. Hare theorized that self-esteem is not a unitary trait but rather a multidimensional construct heavily influenced by an individual’s immediate environment. By isolating the Home, Peer, and School components, the scale allows researchers and clinicians to identify specific domains where an adolescent experiences high or low self-regard.

The scale was initially developed to investigate how social processes, particularly those related to racial and social class integration in educational settings, influence self-perception and academic achievement. It serves as a valuable tool for examining contextual influences on adolescent adjustment and for informing targeted interventions.

Construct

The HSS measures Self-Esteem, defined as an individual’s overall subjective evaluation of their own worth. Crucially, the HSS addresses the multidimensionality of self-esteem, dividing the construct into three distinct and measurable factors:

• Home Self-Esteem: Reflects feelings of worth, importance, and acceptance within the family unit and parental relationships.
• Peer Self-Esteem: Measures feelings of social competence, popularity, and acceptance among age-mates.
• School Self-Esteem: Assesses feelings of competence, importance, and worth in the academic and educational environment.

Validity

The psychometric properties of the HSS have been explored through various studies. Research, such as that conducted by Shoemaker (1980), has provided evidence for the Construct Validity of the area-specific conceptualization. Factor analytic results generally support the intended three-factor structure, demonstrating that the items load onto their respective domains (Home, Peer, School).

Further validation evidence comes from the scale’s ability to correlate differentially with external criteria. For example, the School Self-Esteem subscale typically shows stronger correlations with academic performance measures than the Peer or Home subscales, supporting the domain-specific nature of the measurement.

Reliability

The HSS demonstrates generally acceptable reliability across diverse adolescent populations. Studies assessing internal consistency, often using Cronbach’s alpha, typically report reliable coefficients for the total scale score and for the three individual subscales. While the reliability of the subscales can vary depending on the sample characteristics, they generally meet the standards for instruments used in research settings, confirming that the items within each domain are measuring a consistent underlying trait.

Factor Analysis

Early psychometric evaluations employed Factor Analysis to test the structural integrity of the HSS. These analyses were critical in confirming Hare’s theoretical model that adolescent Self-Esteem is best conceptualized and measured through three distinct factors corresponding to the key social contexts of home, peers, and school. The consistent finding of this tripartite structure across different samples reinforces the scale’s utility in providing a profile of self-regard rather than just a single global score.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire

Format: 30 items administered using a 4-point Likert Scale.

Language Available: Primarily English.

Population Group: Adolescents and young adults.

Age Group: Typically utilized for individuals aged 10 to 18 years.

Population Details: Originally validated on adolescent populations, including specific studies involving desegregated school settings and diverse racial groups.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with statements using a 4-point response scale: 1 = Strongly Agree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Agree, 4 = Strongly agree. Negatively worded items must be reversed coded during scoring to ensure higher scores reflect higher levels of self-esteem.

Keywords

Adolescent Development, Psychometrics, Home Environment, School Adjustment, Peer Status, B. R. Hare, Area-Specific Measurement, Educational Psychological Measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not available in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not available in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not available in source material)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The HSS was initially developed in 1975. The scale is widely published in psychological sourcebooks, making it generally accessible for non-commercial academic research. The instrument is featured in authoritative collections such as Fischer and Corcoran’s Measures for Clinical Practice and Research (2007). Researchers seeking to use the scale for commercial purposes or in clinical practice should consult the publishers or the author’s estate for formal permission.

The original PDF of the instrument can be downloaded here: http://youthrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/HARE-SelfEsteemScale.pdf

Reference’s

• Fischer‚ Joel.‚ Corcoran‚ Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1‚ Page (s): 537-539.
• Hare‚ B. R. The relationship of social background to the dimensions of self-concept. Unpublished doctoral dissertation‚ University of Chicago‚ 1975. The dissertation abstract is available here: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED124641
• Hare. B. R. (1975). The HARE general and area-specific (school‚ peer‚ and home) self-esteem scale. Unpublished manuscript‚ Department of Sociology SUNY Stony Brook‚ Stony Brook‚ New York.
• Hare‚ B. R. (1980). Self-perception and academic achievement variations in a desegregated setting. American Journal of Psychiatry‚ 137‚ 683-689.
• Shoemaker‚ A. L. (1980). Construct validity of area specific self-esteem: The Hare Self-Esteem Scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement‚ 40‚ 495-501.
• Hare‚ B. R. (1985). Hare Self-Esteem Scale (HSS). In Fischer‚ Joel.‚ Corcoran‚ Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1‚ Page (s): 537-539.

Items of the Hare Self-Esteem Scale (HSS)

Peer Self-Esteem Scale

1. I have at least as many friends as other people my age.
2. I am not as popular as other people my age.
3. In the kinds of things that people my age like to do‚ I am at least as good as most other people.
4. People my age often pick on me.
5. Other people think I am a lot of fun to be with.
6. I usually keep to myself because I am not like other people my age.
7. Other people wish that they were like me.
8. I wish I were a different kind of person because I’d have more friends.
9. If my group of friends decided to vote for leaders of their group I’d be elected to a high position.
10. When things get tough‚ I am not a person that other people my age would turn to for help.

Home Self-Esteem Scale

1. My parents are proud of the kind of person I am.
2. No one pays much attention to me at my foster parents’ home.
3. My parents feel that I can be depended on.
4. I often feel that if they could‚ my parents would trade me in for another child.
5. My parents try to understand me.
6. My parents expect too much of me.
7. I am an important person to my family.
8. I often feel unwanted at home.
9. My parents believe that I will be a success in the future.
10. I often wish that I had been placed into a different family.

School Self-Esteem Scale

1. My teacher expects too much of me.
2. In the kinds of things we do in school‚ I am at least as good as other people in my class.
3. I often feel worthless in school.
4. I am usually proud of my report card.
5. School is harder for me than most other people.
6. My teachers are usually happy with the kind of work I do.
7. Most of my teachers do not understand me.
8. I am an important person in my classes.
9. It seems that no matter how hard I try‚ I never get the grades I deserve.
10. All and all‚ I feel I’ve been very fortunate to have had the kinds of teachers I’ve had since I’ve started school

Scoring Notes:

1 = Strongly Agree‚ 2 = Disagree‚ 3= Agree‚ 4= Strongly agree. Negatively-worded items need to be reversed coded.