The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, A Very Useful Tool
The self-esteem is related to the subjective evaluation we make of ourselves. So, healthy self-esteem will always give us great well-being, while extremely low self-esteem can bring us into the limbo of depression.
It is therefore important to take care of it and evaluate it because it does not remain fixed. Self-esteem is indeed very variable. One of the tools that we can find in the field of psychology that will help us achieve this goal is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.
This scale is simple, fast, reliable and efficient: it is one of the instruments that psychologists use the most to assess patients’ self-concept. The scale is frequently used when trying to measure this variable in a study.
“If you don’t know how to value yourself, everyone will know how to use you.”
-Anonymous-
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Putting It into Practice
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is named after its creator, Morris Rosenberg, a professor and doctorate in sociology who devoted many years of his life to the study of self-esteem and self-esteem. -concept. He presented this initial scale idea in his book Society and the teenager’s self-picture ( The company and self-esteem of adolescents ).
The Morris Rosenberg Scale is made up of 10 statements that revolve around how valued a person is, as well as how satisfied they are with themselves. The first 5 statements are formulated positively and the remaining 5 negatively.
Each of the positive statements is scored from 0 (I totally disagree) to 3 (I totally agree), while the negative statements are scored in the opposite direction: the 3 implies being totally in disagree and the 0, to fully agree.
So let’s see what these statements are:
- I feel like I’m a worthy person, at least just as much as everyone else.
- I feel that I have positive qualities.
- In general, I tend to think of myself as a failure.
- I am able to do things as well as most people.
- I feel that I don’t have a lot of qualities that I can be proud of.
- I take a positive attitude towards myself.
- Overall, I feel satisfied with myself.
- I would like to respect myself more.
- I sometimes feel useless.
- I sometimes think that I am useless.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”
-Anonymous-
The positive (1, 2, 4, 6, 7) and negative (3, 5, 8, 9, 10) affirmations are mixed and the total result gives an idea of the level of self-esteem of the interviewee. Thus, a score below 15 would indicate very low self-esteem and should therefore be worked on.
Between 15 and 25 points, we would be faced with a healthy self-esteem, which falls within the criteria of a “balanced” state. A score above 25 would indicate that the person is strong and solid. This high rating can also reveal problems with analyzing reality or people who are too lenient with themselves. The ideal score would therefore oscillate between 15 and 25 points.
The most important findings of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, although initially intended for adolescents, has adapted to adults. This made it possible to assess entire populations and even different cultures, which resulted in some very interesting findings.
For example, it has been found that people who live in individualistic societies, such as the United States, feel very competent but less satisfied with themselves. The opposite effect occurs in Japan, where we find a collectivism in which personal satisfaction is higher but where the feeling of competence tends to collapse.
In addition, the scale found that extroverted and more emotionally stable people enjoy higher self-esteem, while introverts and emotionally unstable people tend to have low self-esteem.
Despite all of these findings, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale found that, in general, all people tend to rate themselves positively, whether they are men or women. , adults or adolescents. Even if this can make us doubt: is it not because many people are ashamed to admit their faults, because they hurt them or because they are unable to recognize them?
“Learn to respect and love yourself because you will be spending your whole life with yourself.”
-Anonymous-
The Rosenberg scale still exists today to provide a solution to a common difficulty in psychology, that of measuring certain variables that influence our behavior, our thoughts and our emotions. Its formulation and survival remind us that it is important to monitor our self-esteem, take care of it and bring it to a balanced level, which does not take anything away from us. A healthy self-esteem is one of the pillars of well-being and, at the same time, the key to feeling happy and comfortable in different areas of our life.
So, you want to take this test and find out how many points you give to your self-esteem?
Images by Kathrin Honesta
