The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
There are a number of different assessment tools you can use to help assess your self-esteem. One of the most well-known of these tools is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem developed by Dr Morris Rosenberg, Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland from 1975 until his death in 1992.
The scale involves 10 questions relating to your attitude to yourself. For five of the questions strongly agreeing with them will suggest your self-esteem is quite high in that respect and for five of them strongly agreeing will suggest that your self-esteem is quite low in that respect, so be sure to read the guide below on this page on using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale to see how to score your answers!
Completing the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire
Below I give the questions and possible answers devised by Rosenberg for evaluating your self-esteem. Try out the questionnaire for yourself:
Circle the answer that applies best to you for each question:
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
|
1. I feel that I'm a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
2. I feel that I have a number of good qualities. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
3. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
4. I am able to do things as well as most other people. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
6. I take a positive attitude toward myself. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
7. On the whole I am satisfied with myself. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
9. I certainly feel useless at times. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
10. At times I think I am no good at all. |
SA |
A |
D |
SD |
Source: Rosenberg, Morris 1989. Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Revised edition Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. Devised by Dr Morris Rosenberg, the scale was initially used to asses the self-esteem of a sample group of over 5,000 high school children in New York. Since then it has been widely used in a variety of settings and locations with a variety of dfferent user groups, including both adults and children, male and female participants.
For more information, visit: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
Scoring your answers to the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale:
Five of the questions focus on self-observations that you are likely to strongly agree with if you have a high level of self-esteem. The other five questions focus on self-observations that you are likely to strongoly agree with if you have a low level of self-esteem. Therefore use the following system to score your results:
Scoring Your Answers to Quesitons 1,2,4,6 & 7: SA=3, A=2, D=1, SD=0
Scoriong Your Answers to Questions 3,5, 8, 9 & 10: SA=0, A=1, D=2, SD=3.
Using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
The lowest score you could achieve on the Roseberg Self-Esteem Scale would be zero. The highest score you could achieve would be 30. most people will be somewhere in between! There are no general rules given about what would be a 'normal' score (this may vary depending on the target group taking the test) or what level counts as 'high' self-esteem and what as 'low' self-esteem.
If you are using the test as a tool to help assess your own self-esteem (or that of someone else) as part fo a self development program, then you can use it before you start the program and after an appropriate interval - such as completion of a significant aspect of the program or completion of the whole program - to help assess whether the program has been helpful for you in building your self-esteem.
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