Wallace Self-Concept Scale

Abstract

The Wallace Self-Concept Scale (WSCS) is a brief, 15-item bipolar adjective scale designed to measure an individual’s global perception of the self, specifically focusing on the construct of “Myself as a Person.” Developed by G. R. Wallace in 1980, the scale provides a singular measure of self-concept. It exists in two alternate forms, A and B, in English, and Form A is also available in Spanish. Scoring utilizes a 7-point Likert-type scale, contributing to standardized normative data derived from a large sample (N=2,301) including adults, adolescents, and college students.

Keywords

Wallace Self-Concept Scale, WSCS, global self-concept, self-esteem, bipolar adjective scale, psychological assessment, Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

Authors

G. R. Wallace

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Wallace Self-Concept Scale (WSCS) is to provide a quick and efficient measure of an individual’s overall, or global, self-perception. It is intended to capture how a person views themselves across various descriptive dimensions, resulting in a single score reflecting the strength and positivity of their self-concept.

The scale was developed to be administered across diverse population groups, including adolescents, college students, and general adult populations, making it a versatile tool for both research and applied psychological settings where a concise measure of global self-concept is required.

Construct

The WSCS measures the psychological construct of global Self-Concept. This construct refers to the comprehensive representation of oneself, encompassing beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about one’s own being. Unlike multi-dimensional scales that break down self-concept into specific domains (e.g., academic, social, physical), the WSCS is designed to yield a unitary, overarching assessment of “Myself as a Person.”

Scale development criteria emphasized items that strongly correlated with the total WSCS score (r ≥ 0.40), ensuring high internal consistency and a focus on the core global construct. Crucially, items were also screened to ensure low correlation with social desirability (r ≤ 0.23), thereby maximizing the validity of the self-concept measurement.

Validity

Validity evidence for the WSCS (Form A) is reported across two primary types: convergent and discriminant validity. These analyses demonstrate that the scale measures the intended construct effectively and distinguishes it from related, but distinct, constructs.

• Convergent validity: The WSCS showed moderate to strong positive correlations with established measures of self-esteem and self-concept, supporting its measurement effectiveness. Specific correlations reported include 0.45 with the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, 0.60 with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, 0.51 with the Personal Orientation Inventory, and 0.64 with the Piers-Harris Self-Esteem Concept Scale.
• Discriminant validity: To ensure the scale was not unduly influenced by response bias, its correlation with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale was assessed. The reported correlation of 0.23 indicates a weak relationship, suggesting that the WSCS successfully measures self-concept independent of social desirability concerns.

Reliability

Reliability estimates for Form A of the WSCS were assessed using three standard methods, indicating strong internal consistency and temporal stability.

• Internal Consistency: The measure of internal consistency, Coefficient alpha, was reported as 0.81 for Form A. This value suggests that the 15 items reliably measure the same underlying construct (global self-concept).
• Test-Retest Reliability: Stability over time was assessed over a two-week interval. The test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.72 to 0.81, demonstrating good temporal stability of the scores.
• Alternate Form Reliability: The equivalence between Form A and Form B was examined over a three-week period. Alternate form reliabilities ranged from 0.71 to 0.80, confirming that Forms A and B can be used interchangeably as alternate measures of the same construct.

Factor Analysis

While the original technical manual focused on item-total correlations and external validity measures for scale refinement, subsequent research has explored the factorial structure of the WSCS. A 1984 study by Wallace et al. conducted a factorial comparison of the WSCS scores between special education teachers and regular classroom teachers, suggesting that the scale has been examined for potential sub-dimensions or invariance across different professional groups, though the scale is primarily intended as a unitary measure.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Inventory / Psychometric Scale

Format: 15-item bipolar adjective scale scored on a 7-point continuum.

Language Available: English (Forms A and B), Spanish (Form A).

Population Group: General population, including adults, adolescents, and college students.

Age Group: Adolescents through adulthood.

Population Details: Normative data were established using a total sample of 2,301 individuals, broken down into four distinct groups: adults (N=1,257), adolescents (N=771), and college students (N=287). The original sample included teachers, college students, and businessmen.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate themselves on a 7-point scale between 15 pairs of descriptive adjectives (e.g., Eager vs. Indifferent). Scoring involves summing the item scores, with six specific items being reverse-scored (eager, participating, powerful, hardworking, sharp, and happy) to control for response set bias. Normative data provided include raw scores, frequencies, cumulative frequencies, NCEs, standardized T scores, and normalized Z scores.

Keywords

Self-concept measurement, psychological scale, reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, coefficient alpha, normative data, Marlowe-Crowne

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in source content. (Original affiliation: University of Missouri, St. Louis, Dept. of Behavioral Studies, 1980.)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially published in 1980 by G. R. Wallace in the WSCS technical manual. Information regarding current permissions or associated fees for commercial use is not detailed in the provided source material.

Reference’s

• Wallace, G. R. (1980). WSCS technical manual. St. Louis: University of Missouri, St. Louis, Dept. of Behavioral Studies.
• Wallace, G. R., and Walker, S. P. (1990). Self-concept, vocational interests, and choice of academic major in college students. College Student Journal 23:361–67.
• Wallace, G. R., et al. (1984). Factorial comparison of the Wallace Self-Concept Scale between special education teachers and regular classroom teachers. Educational and Psychological Measurement 44:199–207.
• Zheng, J. X. (2006). The research of disadvantaged students implicit and explicit self-concept and their predicted fountain. M.S. East China Normal University (People’s Republic of China).

Items of the Wallace Self-Concept Scale

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

Wallace Self-Concept Scale (Form A)

1. Eager                                Indifferent
2. Passive                               Active
3. Rigid                                  Flexible
4. Participating                    Avoiding
5. Lethargic                           Energetic
6. Powerful                           Powerless
7. Negative                            Positive
8. Hardworking                   Lazy
9. Repulsive                         Attractive
10. Sharp                                Dull
11. Unpleasant                      Pleasant
12. Useless                              Useful
13. Happy                               Sad
14. Pessimistic                       Optimistic
15. Ugly                                   Beautiful