Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)

Introduction

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a 10-question survey that measures a person’s overall self-esteem: how positively or negatively they feel about themselves. Sociologist Morris Rosenberg, PhD, developed it in 1965. It was designed to capture “a positive or negative attitude toward the self as a totality.” It’s perhaps the most widely used self-esteem measure in social science research, and is used by researchers, clinicians, and educators worldwide. It’s in the public domain and free to use.

Each item is answered on a four-point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree; five items are reverse-scored. Total scores range from 0 to 30.

What it asks

People rate how much they agree with 10 statements about themselves, such as “On the whole, I am satisfied with myself” and “At times I think I am no good at all.” Five statements are positively worded and five are negatively worded. Each uses the same four answers: strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree.

How it’s scored

Each answer is scored from 0 to 3, with higher numbers always meaning higher self-esteem:

• Positively worded items (1, 3, 4, 7, 10): Strongly agree = 3, agree = 2, disagree = 1, strongly disagree = 0.

• Negatively worded items (2, 5, 6, 8, 9): Scored in reverse: strongly agree = 0, agree = 1, disagree = 2, strongly disagree = 3.

This tool reports three scores:

• Total score (0–30): The sum of all 10 items. Higher scores mean higher self-esteem.

• Self-Competence (0–15): Items 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9. It assesses confidence in personal capabilities and sense of efficacy, reflecting beliefs about one’s ability to achieve goals and handle challenges effectively.

• Self-Liking (0–15): Items 1, 2, 6, 8, and 10. It measures intrinsic self-worth and personal acceptance, representing fundamental feelings about oneself as a person independent of specific achievements.

Where the subscales come from

Rosenberg designed the scale to give one total score. Later researchers Romin Tafarodi and Alan Milne (2002) argued for distinguishing two dimensions of global self-esteem, self-competence and self-liking, and their studies identified a corresponding pair of factors in Rosenberg’s (1965) Self-Esteem Scale. The subscales can show whether someone’s self-esteem rests more on feeling capable or on feeling worthy as a person. Researchers still debate how distinct the two are: although some investigations suggest a two-factor structure, these factors may correspond to positively and negatively worded items rather than substantively distinct constructs. Treat the total score as the main result and the subscales as supporting detail.

How results are interpreted

There are no official cutoffs for low or high self-esteem, and the University of Maryland, where Rosenberg worked, doesn’t publish any. A commonly used informal guide treats total scores of about 15–25 as within the normal range and below 15 as suggesting low self-esteem. These numbers aren’t part of Rosenberg’s original scoring, so consider them as a general guide.

Limitations

The RSES measures how a person feels about themselves at the time they take it. It isn’t a diagnosis of any mental health condition. Low self-esteem can come with depression or anxiety, so persistently low scores, especially with low mood, are a reason to talk with a health professional. The scale is generally used with adolescents and adults.

Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.