Description
The SISE was developed to serve as a proxy for the RSE in research contexts in which time constraints severely
limit the number of items that can be administered (e.g., large-scale surveys, pre-screening packets, longitudinal
studies, experience sampling studies). The SISE is a highly face valid measure that assesses an individual’s
explicit knowledge about one’s global self-evaluation. The SISE provides a very brief, standardized measure that
bypasses the need for individual researchers to abbreviate measures of global self-esteem. The SISE asks the par-
ticipant to rate the statement ‘I have high self-esteem’ on a 5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from ‘not very true
of me’ to ‘very true of me.’ Some researchers have used alternative item wording (‘My self-esteem is high’, ‘I see
myself as someone who has high self-esteem’), scale anchors (‘strongly disagree’ and ‘strongly agree’), and
response formats (7- and 9-point Likert-type rating scales), apparently with little/no appreciable effects on
the psychometric properties of the measure (see discussion regarding number of response options in Chapter 1,
this volume).
Sample
The SISE was initially developed and validated using data from four studies, a 4-year longitudinal study of
college students, a cross-sectional study of college students, a community sample, and a sample of 4th to 8th
grade children. In a separate study, Ackerman, Brecheen, Corker, Donnellan, and Witt (2013) investigated the
test/C0retest reliability of the SISE in a sample of ( N5300) undergraduates (see below).
Reliability
Internal Consistency
This is not relevant given the single item nature of the measure.
Test/C0Retest
Robins et al. (2001a) reported a test /C0retest coefficient of .75, using the Heise (1969) procedure for estimating
test/C0retest reliability from the pattern of auto-correlations over six waves of data spanning four years of college.
Vazire and Mehl (2007) reported a test /C0retest coefficient of .79, as cited in Vazire, Naumann, Rentfrow, &
Gosling (2008, p. 1442) .Dollinger and Malmquist (2009) reported an 11-week test /C0retest coefficient of .55. Using
unpublished data from approximately 300 college students at a Southwestern University followed over a
1-semester interval, Ackerman et al. (2013) reported a test /C0retest coefficient of .53 for the SISE (compared with
.67 for the RSE). The test /C0retest reliability of the SISE compares favorably with that of other single-item mea-
sures, according to a meta-analysis of single-item scales conducted by Postmes, Haslam, and Jans (2012) .
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Robins et al. (2001a) reported positive correlations between the SISE and RSE of .75 in a sample of college stu-
dents, .74 in a second sample of college students, and .80 in a community sample. The strong convergence
between the SISE and the RSE measures held: (1) for males and females; (2) for different ethnic groups; (3) for
both college students and community members; (4) for different occupational statuses; (5) across four years of
college; and (6) for both a 5-point and 7-point rating scale. The SISE also exhibits moderate convergent validity
during childhood, correlating .52 with the Harter (1985) Global Self-Worth (GSE) scale in a sample of 9- to
13-year olds; in the same sample, the correlation between parent reports of their children’s self-esteem using
the SISE and the GSE was .74 ( Robins et al., 2001a ). Using data from over 1,200 first-year students at a
Southwestern University, Ackerman et al. (2013) found a correlation of .68 between the SISE and RSE. Finally,
the SISE was correlated .79 with a composite of the Tafarodi and Swann (2001) self-liking and self-competence
scales/C0revised ( Gebauer, Riketta, Broemer, & Maio, 2008 ). Overall, these correlations are as high, if not higher,
than those typically found between the various multi-item global self-esteem scales commonly reported in
the literature.
Robins et al. (2001a) found that higher scores on the SISE were as sociated with being male; more positive
domain-specific self-evaluations; higher levels of Big Five Extraversion and Conscientiousness; lower
levels of Big Five Neuroticism and shyness; higher levels of optimism; higher levels of psychological and
physical health; and higher levels of peer-rated perfor mance in a group interaction task. The overall pattern
of convergent correlations was nearly identical for the SISE and the RSE (correlation between the two138 6. MEASURES OF SELF-ESTEEM
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS