Self-image
Self-Esteem Test: how do you value yourself?
Self-esteem shapes how you deal with challenges, relationships and setbacks. Innerscape uses the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the most widely used instrument for measuring global self-esteem.
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In short
A self-esteem test measures your global self-esteem: your overall evaluation of your own worth as a person. Innerscape uses the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES, 10 statements), the most cited instrument for it, done in about 2 minutes. Higher self-esteem is not always better: stable, realistic self-esteem is healthier than fragile high self-esteem that depends on outside validation.
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is your overall evaluation of your own worth as a person. Morris Rosenberg defined it in 1965 as a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the self. It is not about narcissism or arrogance, but about a fundamental feeling: am I okay as I am? People with healthy self-esteem do not need to answer that question over and over — the answer is woven into how they meet the world.
Self-esteem is not the same as self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is your belief in your competence at specific tasks: can I do this? Self-esteem is about your worth as a whole: am I worth it? You can perform excellently at work (high self-efficacy) and still doubt your worth as a person (low self-esteem). That tension is more often the rule than the exception.
What is the difference between high and low self-esteem?
High self-esteem
- →Trust in your own worth
- →Handling criticism without losing yourself
- →Daring to fail and learning from it
- →Authentic behavior regardless of context
Low self-esteem
- →Doubt about your own worth
- →Sensitivity to rejection and criticism
- →Avoiding risks and challenges
- →Dependence on outside validation
Neither extreme is ideal. Stable, realistic self-esteem — rooted in self-knowledge rather than outside validation — is the healthiest.
What is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale?
The RSES was developed by Morris Rosenberg in 1965 and is one of the most cited instruments in psychology. The scale consists of 10 statements: 5 worded positively and 5 negatively (reverse-scored). For each statement you indicate how strongly you agree, on a four-point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. It takes about two minutes, yet it is a surprisingly strong predictor of psychological well-being.
The simplicity of the RSES is also its strength. By measuring only ten items, it captures the core of your self-image without noise. The scale correlates strongly with depression, anxiety, life satisfaction and social adjustment — which makes it a reliable gauge of how you fundamentally stand toward yourself. Innerscape combines your RSES score with seven other scientific questionnaires to form a complete picture.
Your score is shown as your average on that four-point scale (summed, the ten items give a total between 10 and 40), together with a percentile that compares it with the population.
Why know your self-esteem?
→Resilience— Self-esteem is a buffer against stress and setbacks. The firmer your foundation, the faster you recover.
→Relationships— Your self-image influences who you attract and how you relate to others. Patterns in relationships often start with how you see yourself.
→Performance— Not too little and not too much self-confidence: the balance determines your effectiveness. Low self-esteem holds you back; fragile high self-esteem makes you vulnerable to failure.
→The bigger picture— Combined with your attachment style, values and coping patterns, your self-esteem reveals a deeper layer of your personality.
Written by Remco Volmer, founder of Innerscape.
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Start your journeyFrequently asked questions
Is high self-esteem always good?+
Not necessarily. Stable, realistic self-esteem is healthier than fragile high self-esteem that depends on outside validation.
Can my self-esteem change?+
Yes. Self-esteem fluctuates over your life and can shift through experiences, therapy and awareness.
How many questions does the self-esteem test have?+
10 statements about how you think and feel about yourself. Done in about 2 minutes.
What exactly does the test measure?+
Global self-esteem: your overall evaluation of your own worth as a person. Not specific skills, but your fundamental attitude toward yourself.