Exploring the Suitability of Rosenberg Self- esteem Scale for Adult Use in South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Despite the popularity, simplicity and wide usage of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES), its reliability and validity among different samples across  culture is in doubt. This study was thus conducted to investigate the suitability of RSES as a self-esteem measure among adult samples in Southwestern  Nigeria. 458 purposively and conveniently sampled adults participated in the study i.e. 371 male and 87 females. Participants were drawn from the  population of adults who attended recruitment exercise with the National Road Safety Corps in one of the Western states of Nigeria. Their ages ranged  from 20-35 years and classification according marital status revealed that 411 of the participants, while 47 of them were never married. Initial reliability  analysis conducted on the scale yielded an σ co efficient of .24 and a split-half reliability co-efficient of .29. The low reliability informed the principal factor  analysis that was done which yielded a one-dimensional scale with items 2,5,6,9 having factor loadings that are > .30. The composite reliability scale when  tested with the emerging four items revealed an σ reliability of .63 which is generally considered to be good enough. It is concluded that the RSES  is not a suitable measure of self-esteem among adult samples in southwestern Nigeria if it is used in its original form with the 10 items. However, the 4  items could be used. It is recommended that a more elaborate study be conducted that will include adults from different sectors and different parts of  the country in order to make generalization of research findings possible.