Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ-1; SDQ-II; SDQ-III)
(Marsh, 1992a,b,c ).
Variable
The basic underlying measurement philosophy of the SDQ scales is to assess aspects of the self-concept in
domains that are developmentally relevant (such as academic domains and peer relationships). Individuals might
feel positively about their level of fitness but not like their academic abilities so obtaining scores in different
domains can provide a more detailed profile of an individual’s self-concept.
Description
Marsh and his colleagues have created a family of measures of the domains of the self-concept (see Byrne,
1996) based on theoretical considerations discussed extensively in Marsh (1990a) and Marsh and Craven (2006) .
The various SDQ measures have developmentally appropriate scales for assessing different domains of the self-
concept relevant for individuals of different ages. Each SDQ inventory has a global scale modeled on the RSE so
that researchers can evaluate how strongly each domain is related to global self-esteem, the construct that is pos-
ited to sit at the highest level of the self-concept hierarchy (see Marsh & Craven, 2006 ).
SDQ-I ( Marsh, 1992a ) is a 76-item measure designed to assess aspects of the self-concept relevant for pre-
adolescent children aged 8 to 12 years. A preliminary evaluation of the SDQ-I was presented in Blascovich and
Tomaka (1991, pp. 144 /C0147). Items are answered on a 5-point scale ranging from ‘False’ to ‘True’ with a midpoint
labeled ‘Sometimes false/Sometimes true’. Although originally designed for those in middle to late childhood,
the items may be used with children as young as second grade. There is a version for even younger children
(Kindergarten: aged 5 to 7 years) using a one-on-one interview format ( Marsh et al., 1991 ). The SDQ-I includes
seven scales designed to measure broad domains of the self-concept relevant for preadolescents, four from the
non-academic realm (labeled: Physical Abilities, Physical Appearance, Peer Relations, and Parent Relations) and
three from the academic realm (labeled: Reading, Mathematics, and General School Subjects). Many of the items
on the SDQ-I are similar to items on the SDQ-II and SDQ-III.
The SDQ-II ( Marsh, 1992b ) is a 102-item measure designed to assess aspects of the self-concept relevant for
adolescents roughly between the ages of 12 and 18 years (Middle School and High School). Items are rated on a
6-point scale ranging from ‘False’ to ‘True’. There is a general self-esteem scale and 10 domain scales - seven
non-academic (labeled: Physical Abilities, Physical Appearance, Same-Sex Peer Relations, Opposite-Sex Peer
Relations, Parent Relations, Emotional Stability, and Honesty) and three academic (labeled: Verbal, Mathematics,
and General Academics).
The SDQ-III ( Marsh, 1992c ) is a 136-item measure designed to assess aspects of the self-concept relevant for
late adolescents and college students. The heavy focus on aspects of academic self-concept means that many
scales will be less relevant for adults who are not at school. Byrne (1996) noted that certain domains relevant to
older adults (e.g., domains of work and parenthood) are not well-represented in the SDQ-III. Items are rated on
an 8-point scale ranging from ‘Definitely False’ to ‘Definitely True’. There is a general self-esteem scale and 12
domain scales /C0eight non-academic (labeled: Physical Abilities, Physical Appearance, Same-Sex Peer Relations,
Opposite-Sex Peer Relations, Parent Relations, Emotional Stability, Honesty, and Spiritual Values/Religion) and
four academic (labeled: Verbal, Mathematics, Problem Solving, and General Academics).
Sample
Data on the psychometric properties of the SDQ-I is based on 3,562 students from New South Wales,
Australia. The global self-esteem scale was later developed for the SDQ-I using an 8-item general scale based on
the RSE (see Marsh, Smith, & Barnes, 1985b, pp. 585 /C0586) and evaluated using data from 559 5th grade
Australian school students. Initial information concerning the psychometric properties of SDQ-II were based on
901 Australian high school students as reported in Marsh et al. (1985a,b) , later refined using a large normative
sample of 5,494 5th grade Australian school students ( Marsh, 1992b ). Normative data on the SDQ is based on
9,187 Australian high school students ( Marsh et al., 2005a,b ) and 17,544 students from the United States who
completed 21 items from the SDQ as part of the National Educational Longitudinal Survey of 1988 ( Marsh, 1994 ).
Normative data on the SDQ-III is available on an Australian sample ( N52,436; Marsh, 1992c ) and a Canadian
sample ( N5991; Byrne, 1988 ).147 OVERVIEW OF THE MEASURES
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS