Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Self-liking and self-competence both have strong positive correlations with the RSE. The correlations for the
RSE and self-liking measured by the SLSC scale ranged from .74 to .88 and for the RSE and self-competence
(from .53 to .88; Cicero & Kerns, 2011 ;Mar et al., 2006 ;Vandromme et al., 2007 ). Both self-liking ( β5.71 study 1,
β5.62 study 2) and self-competence ( β5.28 study 1, β5.37 study 2) independently predicted scores on the
RSE in regression analyses with both scales in the model ( Mar et al., 2006 ), and combined the two scales explain
most of the variance in the RSE (R2ranging from .79 to .96; Mar et al., 2006 ;Tafarodi et al., 2010 ). Moderate corre-
lations (ranging from .34 to .57) were found between reporters (mothers, fathers, and children) ( Tafarodi &
Swann, 2001 ). Correlations with self-serving attributions were .22 for self-liking and .24 for self-competence
(Cicero & Kerns, 2011 ). Self-liking scores correlated positively with reports of parental warmth ( r5.24 for men
and r5.32 for women), and also correlated .16 with a measure of social desirability, while self-competence cor-
related .23 with a measure of social desirability ( Tafarodi & Swann, 1995 ). Self-competence scores also correlated
positively with self-ratings of abilities ( r5.30 for men and r5.48 for women) ( Tafarodi & Swann, 1995 ).
Relations with self-deception were also independent and of similar magnitude (around .60 for self-liking and .50
for self-competence; Mar et al., 2006 ).
Divergent/Discriminant
Self-liking scores correlated around 2.30 with self-doubt while self-competence scores correlated 2.63 with
self-doubt ( Greenway et al., 2003 ). Self-liking and self-competence correlated 2.63 and 2.57, respectively with
neuroticism in one study ( Ramsdel, 2008 ) and2.68 and 2.41 in another ( Vandromme et al., 2007 ). Self-liking cor-
related 2.45 with depression and self-competence 2.35 with depression ( Greenway et al., 2003 ).Tafarodi and
Swann (1995) found that the self-liking and self-competence relations with depression were independent and
approximately equal ( 2.30 for self-liking and 2.20 for self-competence), but others have found that the magni-
tude of the relations varies by the type of depression measure used ( Silvera et al., 2001 ). Self-competence scores
were not significantly correlated with reports of parental warmth ( r52 .11 for men and r5.01 for women)
(Tafarodi & Swann, 1995 ). Likewise, self-liking scores were not correlated with self-ratings of ability ( r5.06 for
men and r5.04 for women) ( Tafarodi & Swann, 1995 ).
Construct Factor Analytic
Competing factor models were tested using confirmatory factor analytic methods based on relatively large
samples (e.g., N51,325 in Tafarodi & Swann, 2001 ). The model representing separate self-liking and self-
competence factors fit the data best (compared with a single factor, positive and negative method factors, and
hybrids of the two; Tafarodi & Swann, 1995,2001 ;Vandromme et al., 2007 ). However, Aidman (1998) conducted a
principal component analysis (PCA) on a sample of Australian university students ( N5480) and found three
components: the first comprised the positively worded items, the second captured the negatively worded self-
liking items, and the third captured the positively worded self-competence items. Silvera et al. (2001) conducted
a confirmatory factor analysis with 372 Norwegian college students providing support for the self-liking and
self-competence factors in addition to negative and positive method factors.
Criterion/Predictive
Evidence of criterion/predictive validity is not currently available.
Location
Tafarodi, R.W., & Swann, W.B. Jr., (2001). Two-dimensional self-esteem: Theory and measurement. Personality
and Individual Differences, 31 , 653/C0673.
Results and Comments
There is a potentially interesting conceptual distinction between self-liking and self-competence that could be
a fruitful line for future theoretical and empirical work. However, the two subscales of the SLSC tend to be mod-
erately correlated (e.g., r5.62;Zeigler-Hill, 2010 ). This level of association has perhaps motivated some to aggre-
gate both scores into a single composite (see Buhrmester et al., 2011 ). It might be profitable in future work to
develop scales that are more independent of each other. Likewise, additional work is needed to further identify
the nomological networks of these two constructs as assessed by the SLSC measure.141 OVERVIEW OF THE MEASURES
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS