The Factor Structure of Global Self-Esteem among Adolescents and Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965). Despite its frequent use, the factor structure of the RSES remains unclear. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the CFA approach to analyzing multitrait–multimethod data were used to evaluate eight competing models of the factor structure of the RSES. The models were evaluated within three diverse samples and two follow-up surveys. The results of this study indicate that the RSES is a unidimensional construct that is contaminated by a method effect primarily associated with negatively worked items. These results were found in both adolescents and adults. Moreover, the results found support for the hypothesis that the method effects diminish with increased verbal ability. The theoretical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.