Normally, the analysis process for assessing the psychometric soundness of an instrument will provide an evidence for both validity and reliability. Therefore, in most occasions, the two terms are strongly related. However, according to the pedagogical perspective, it is essential to separate the analysis that is close with validity from those that are linked to reliability. Still, the two properties cannot be mutually exclusive (Bandyopadhyay, 2016). For that reason, the discussion will be about the ways a person can assess the validity of an instrument in terms of self-esteem measures.
Over the years, the stability of self-esteem has always been proven to be an important variable influencing psychological functioning. Although, the measure of self-esteem stability is still lacking in validity. Furthermore, validity is more about how the scores are being used and they can be used in testing for the achievement scores, which are also part of self-esteem stability (Kline, 2005). The golden standard for measuring self-esteem is RSES. The instructions for RSES are modified in a manner that participants are asked to respond on how they think about themselves in the present moment. However, the use of RSES for indirect longitudinal assessment requires multiple regression analysis that is suitable for incrementally predictive.
The principle of RSES process is based on the individual’s negative or positive attitude about self as a totality. In that case, a person with high self-esteem has characteristics that are different from the person with low self-esteem. RSES technique asses both variability and validity in a naturalistic context. Therefore, it requires the participant to invest more time and effort in completing the requirements for validity and self-esteem measures. Cross-sectional measures can also be used in rating the fluctuation of self-esteem in the trend of a single measurement occasion. However, the limitation comes with validity and memory biases. Furthermore, the risk of memory biases requires the subject to retrospect to his (her) past experience, which is also associated with memory distortion effects.
A person of high self-esteem consider himself to be of self-worth and has self-respect. This is a kind of person who appreciates his (her) merits and does not recognize his (her) culpabilities. In contrast, a person of low self-esteem does not have respect for himself (herself) and considers himself (herself) to be inadequate, deficient, and unworthy. Self-esteem is a conceptualized act and individual trait whereby the fluctuation of the feelings of self-worth can be diminished as a measurement of error. Therefore, the stability of a high-level self-esteem is associated with better functioning or adjustment. This fact is true because it is associated with individual concepts like vulnerable narcissism, depression, dysfunctional coping strategies, and emotional stability. For that reason, the stability of self-esteem is related to the general life satisfaction of an individual and can be associated with interaction satisfactions like dyadic satisfaction.
Validation of the RSES (Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale) Technique
Validation of the RSES as a tool for measuring the self-esteem of an individual can be based on content validity (Wallace, 1988). This type of validation depends on the level to which the measure can sufficiently represent all the requirements of the theory. Therefore, the concept is usually associated with questions that serve as signs of depressions or loss of interest. Moreover, the common behaviors that show that a person is depressed should be included in an index. However, the index might be of low content validity because it was not adequately represented.
References
Bandyopadhyay, N. (June 06, 2016). The role of self-esteem, negative affect and normative influence in impulse buying. Marketing Intelligence " Planning, 34, 4, 523-539
Kline, T. J. B. (2005). Psychological testing: a practical approach to design and evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wallace, G. R. (1988). Rse-40: An Alternate Scoring System for the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rse).
