and better convergent validity. Moreover, the Likert-type version showed just as low correlations with social
desirability as did the original scale.
Second, although the SPP scales form a life-span measure, the domains differ by age and there is some vari-
ability in the item wording for the domains that do cut across age groups. Thus, for many analyses, age differ-
ences will be somewhat confounded by differences in item content. Third, global self-esteem is not included until
age 8 years because Harter (e.g., Harter & Pike, 1984 ) posited that children younger than 8 years are not able to
make global evaluations about the self. However, Marsh et al. (1991) questioned Harter’s claim, and presented
evidence of a well-defined global self-worth factor that was distinct from domain-specific factors in a sample of 6
to 8-year-olds (cf. Marsh, Ellis, & Craven, 2002 ). In addition, Verschueren, Buyck, and Marcoen (2001) assessed
global self-esteem in 5-year-olds through a puppet interview and found good correspondence with self-reported
global self-esteem at age 8 years. Thus, the omission of a global scale on the Harter measure for the youngest chil-
dren may be a limitation.
Fourth, more evidence is needed to support the number and type of domains for each age group.
For example, Marsh (1992a) has made a convincing case for the value of assessing self-competence in the
separate domains of mathematics and reading/verbal a bilities. The Harter scales do not separately assess
these domains and this might be a concern, especially give n purported gender differences of self-perceptions
in these domains. Conversely, there might be too many domains on some SPP versions. These domains
add length without necessarily providing psychologic ally important information. In short, more work is
needed to establish the validity and necessity of all t he domains assessed by the various profiles developed
by Harter.
In sum, there are a number of positive features of the Harter SPP measures ( Byrne, 1996 ). The global self-
esteem scale converges strongly with the RSE and the re is little evidence (as yet) that one global scale
is superior to the other. Our reservations are mostl y with respect to the response format of the items and
t h en e e df o rm o r ee v i d e n c ef o rt h ev a l i d i t yf o re a c ho f the subscales. The bottom line is that if researchers
wish to use a multidimensional measure of the self-c oncept, the decision will likely boil down to a choice
between the Harter family of measures or the Self-Des cription Questionnaires (SDQ), discussed next.
ADMINISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE HARTER
SELF-PERCEPTION PROFILE FOR CHILDREN
Instructions to the child
We have some sentences here and, as you can see
from the top of your sheet where it says “What I am
like”, we are interested in what each of you is like, what
kind of a person you are like. This is a survey, nota test.
There are no right or wrong answers. Since kids are very
different from one another, each of you will be putting
down something different.
First, let me explain how these questions work. There
is a sample question at the top, marked (a). I’ll read it
out loud and you follow along with me. ( Examiner reads
the sample question .) This question talks about two kinds
of kids, and we want to know which kinds are most
likeyou.
(1)So, what I want you to decide first is whether you
are more like the kids on the left side who
would rather play outdoors, or whether you are
more like the kids on the right side who wouldrather watch T.V. Don’t mark anything yet, but first
decide which kinds of kids are most like you , and go
to that side of the sentence.
(2)Now the second thing I want you to think about,
now that you have decided which kinds of kids are
most like you, is to decide whether that is only sort
of true for you,o rreally true for you . If it’s only sort of
true, the put an X in the box under Sort of True for
me; if it’s really true for you, then put an X in that
box, under Really True for me.
(3)For each sentence, you only check onebox.
Sometimes it will be on one side of the page, another
time it will be on the other side of the page, but you
can only check one box for each sentence. Y OU DON’T
CHECK BOTH SIDES ,JUST THE ONE SIDE MOST LIKE YOU .
(4)OK, that one was just for practice. Now we have
some more sentences that I will read out loud. For
each one, just check one box—the one that goes with
what is true for You, what you are most like.145 OVERVIEW OF THE MEASURES
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS