Abstract
Gray-Little, Williams, and Hancock analyse the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with item response theory, find a single common factor (contrary to two-factor accounts), and show the ten items are not equally discriminating — clarifying how to read the instrument as one unidimensional measure of global self-esteem.
Gray-Little, B., Williams, V. S. L., & Hancock, T. D. (1997). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(5), 443–451. DOI
Key findings
- Unidimensional — A single common factor fits the scale better than separate confidence/depreciation factors.
- Unequal discrimination — Items differ in how sharply they distinguish levels of self-esteem.
- Measurement guidance — Results inform validation and development of future self-esteem instruments.
When to open this
Open alongside Rosenberg scale when you need the psychometric basis for treating self-esteem as one measurable global construct.