The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: A Bifactor Answer to a Two-Factor Question?

Abstract

Despite its long-standing and widespread use, disagreement remains regarding the structure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). In particular, concern remains regarding the degree to which the scale assesses self-esteem as a unidimensional or multidimensional (positive and negative self-esteem) construct. Using a sample of 3,862 high school students in the United Kingdom, 4 models were tested: (a) a unidimensional model, (b) a correlated 2-factor model in which the 2 latent variables are represented by positive and negative self-esteem, (c) a hierarchical model, and (d) a bifactor model. The totality of results including item loadings, goodness-of-fit indexes, reliability estimates, and correlations with self-efficacy measures all supported the bifactor model, suggesting that the 2 hypothesized factors are better understood as "grouping" factors rather than as representative of latent constructs. Accordingly, this study supports the unidimensionality of the RSES and the scoring of all 10 items to produce a global self-esteem score.

Back to “the Future”: Evidence of a Bifactor Solution for Scores on the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale

“…Results of this study suggest that the two-factor solution is, in fact, the result of method factors representing the positively and negatively worded items. Indeed, as noted previously, similar method factors have been found in the RSES (e.g., Marsh et al, 2010;McKay et al, 2014), perhaps the most widely used measure of global self-esteem.…”

“…Respondents indicate their level of agreement on a scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). RSES scores have demonstrated strong reliability and validity (a D .86) in a large sample of British adolescents including participants in the present study (McKay, Boduszek, & Harvey, 2014). The RSES has been validated for use with substance users and other clinical groups, and is regularly used in treatment outcome studies.…”

“…The RSES has been validated for use with substance users and other clinical groups, and is regularly used in treatment outcome studies. The scale has also been validated for use with both male and female adolescents and adult and elderly populations (Gullette & Lyons, 2006;McKay et al, 2014). Cronbach's a for scores in this sample was .83.…”

The dimensionality of the Brief Self-Control Scale—An evaluation of unidimensional and multidimensional applications

“…Although the results of the CFA appear to be in favor of the Ferrari model, this conceptualization does not seem to be clearly interpretable because the subscales' content is confounded with differences in item phrasing (positive vs. negative). As demonstrated by McKay, Boduszek, and Harvey (2014), multifactorial specifications are at risk of being meaningless from a substantive point of view because the dimensionality of an instrument could be affected by item clustering due to phrasing effects, and therefore, does not represent substantive constructs. In our investigation, the resilience of this wording effect might be the main reason for the good replicability of the Ferrari model across samples.…”

Personality Correlates of Co-Witness Suggestibility

“…Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) has been validated as a reliable measure (McKay, Boduszek, & Harvey, 2014). A fruitful direction for future research in continuation of the present findings will therefore be to utilise such scales in conjunction with the Wanted Control dimension, to compose a more appropriate assessment for measuring co-witness suggestibility.…”