Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

RSES

psychologysocial sciencesFree for research use

A 10-item self-report instrument measuring global self-esteem as a unidimensional construct.

Items

Response format

4-point Likert scale

Version

1.0

Ready-to-cite methods sentence

Global self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), a 10-item instrument rated on a 4-point Likert scale with five items reverse-scored (α = .77).

Reliability & validation

notes

Original New York State high-school sample; α values across populations typically range .72–.88.

Validation population

Adolescents and adults

Test–retest

0.85

Cronbach's α

0.77

Response anchors

Strongly disagree · Disagree · Agree · Strongly agree

Known limitations

Originally developed with US adolescents; interpretation of the method-effect caused by positively and negatively worded items has been debated in the literature (e.g., Marsh, 1996). The scale is unidimensional by design.

Original citation

Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image.

Questions researchers ask

What does the RSES measure?

A 10-item self-report instrument measuring global self-esteem as a unidimensional construct.

How many items does the RSES have?

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) has 10 items.

Is the RSES free to use?

The RSES is free to use for non-commercial academic research. You don't need to pay a license fee, but you should always cite the original publication.

Is the RSES reliable?

Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.77, test–retest reliability of 0.85. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.

Who developed the RSES, and how do I cite it?

Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image.

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Library entry verified January 2024. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.