Self-esteem test: what level of self-esteem do I have?

The most well-known and used self-esteem test is, without a doubt, the Rosenberg scale. . It is true that we are dealing with a psychometric instrument that is now more than five decades old, however, we still like its simplicity when applying it (it consists of only 10 items) and, above all, we like its reliability and validity.

When we talk about self-esteem, it is clear that who most and who least would know how to define it. It is, basically, the concept we have of ourselves and how we evaluate ourselves. Now, it should be noted that this dimension has more nuances, more complex brushstrokes that trace a psychological canvas full of unique tonalities, shapes and perspectives.

Self-esteem is the thoughts we have every day about ourselves. They are also the perceptions of how others see us. We cannot forget either, the weight of childhood, education, interaction with our parents, friends, our partners… This dimension is a totum revolutum that integrates concepts such as identity, self-awareness, self-efficacy, etc.

Likewise, to deepen the concept of self-esteem, It is interesting to consult the multiple works of Morris Rosenberg, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, and a pioneer in the study of this area. It was in one of his books, Society and adolescent self-esteeme, published in 1965, when he first presented his self-esteem scale.

This instrument continues to be one of the most used psychometric tools today. Let’s see why.

Self-esteem test: Rosenberg scale

Self-esteem is a subjective psychological construct. We know that its ingredients are shaped through each experience and the assessment we make of it, also what we say to ourselves, the way we treat, appreciate and evaluate ourselves in almost any aspect of life.

However, It is important to point out a nuance: self-esteem is an emotional dimension. We cannot forget that this competence can fluctuate at some point, starting, above all, from the way in which we interpret and face certain events in our life process. That is to say, no one comes into the world with a strong self-esteem and keeps it in that ideal state until the end of their days.

Self-esteem is like a muscle; If we neglect it, sometimes it weakens. If we exercise it daily, everything flows, everything weighs a little less and we feel strong enough to face almost anything. Thus, a good starting point to know what state this “psychological muscle” is in is through this self-esteem psychology test, the most recognized to date: the Rosenberg scale.

What is the history of the Rosenberg scale?

Morris Rosenberg developed the scale based on data from 5,024 adolescents in American schools. His idea was to try to understand how people’s social context was related to the concept of self-esteem. He knew that factors such as education, environment and family could increase or affect this psychological construct.

His idea was to develop a self-esteem test to evaluate how adolescents in his country were doing. This work was carried out in 1960, immediately awakening the interest of the scientific community. Especially because the scale showed high reliability and because it remains equally valid over the years and in other populations around the world.

How is this Rosenberg self-esteem psychology test applied?

One of the most notable facts about this self-esteem psychology test is its simplicity when applying it. It consists of 10 items with four response options likert styleranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. If we now ask ourselves how it is possible that this instrument is valid with only ten questions, it is interesting to highlight one detail.

In 2001, Dr. Richard W. Robbins pointed out that to evaluate self-esteem, in reality, even a single question was enough, one like “Do I have good self-esteem?” In fact, he himself developed the Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale (SISE), demonstrating in a study that it was just as effective as Rosenberg’s scale.

What does this self-esteem psychology test consist of and how is it evaluated?

The items that make up the Rosenberg self-esteem scale are the following:

I feel that I am a person worthy of appreciation, at least as much as others.I am convinced that I have good qualities.I am capable of doing things as well as most people.I have a positive attitude towards myself. I am generally satisfied with myself. I feel like I don’t have much to be proud of. In general, I am inclined to think that I am a failure.I wish I could feel more respect for myself. There are times when I really think I’m useless. Sometimes I think I’m not a good person.

Each question must be answered based on the following response typology:

A. Strongly agree
B. Okay
C. Disagree
D. Strongly disagree

Interpretation of the self-esteem psychology test

The methodology when evaluating each response follows the following guidelines:

Questions 1 to 5 –> answers from A to D are scored from 4 to 1. For questions from 6 to 10, answers from A to D are scored from 1 to 4.

Thus, If we have a final score that ranges from 30 to 40 points, we will have good self-esteem. If the final score ranges between 26 and 29 points, we will have an average self-esteem that should be improved. Finally, and if you have obtained a 25 or less, you would have low self-esteem.

In conclusion, The Rosenberg self-esteem scale is a tool that is as useful as it is simple, very practical for evaluating patients both in the clinical setting and in the general population. It is worth continuing to keep this psychological resource in mind.

You might be interested…