Purpose

The CFSEI-B Scale aims to measure and assess children’s and adolescents’ self-esteem, both as a whole and across its specific dimensions. It serves as a useful tool in educational and psychological practice for understanding self-image in younger age groups.

Description

The CFSEI-B scale is the short version of the full CFSEI-A format and includes a total of 30 statements. It can be administered individually or in groups and is mainly aimed at children aged 10 to 13 years, specifically students in the 5th and 6th grades of primary school. The administration is particularly suitable for children facing language or learning difficulties, as the format of the questions is simple and adapted to the developmental level of students.
The scale includes five subscales, each of which assesses a specific aspect of self-esteem: general self-esteem, social self-esteem, academic/school self-esteem, parental-related self-esteem, and a lie scale to check for the sincerity of responses.

Response Format

The respondent is asked to answer each statement with one of two options: “Yes” or “No.” Responses are recorded on a single answer sheet. The statements are phrased so that selecting “Yes” in most cases indicates a positive self-concept. In five of the thirty items (those belonging to the lie scale), a “Yes” answer indicates a socially desirable but potentially insincere response.

Scoring

Each answer that reflects positive self-esteem is scored with 1 point, while other answers are scored with 0. The five items of the lie scale are scored in reverse: “Yes” responses indicate socially desirable but possibly dishonest answers. The total score is the sum of the values of the items in the four main subscales (excluding the lie scale items). A high score on the lie scale may suggest the need to reassess the validity of the responses.

Psychometric Properties

The CFSEI-B scale demonstrates satisfactory reliability indices, with internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the subscales ranging between 0.66 and 0.76. It has been tested on a Greek sample of adolescent students and shows statistically significant factorial coherence, according to the Greek translation and adaptation by E. Didaskalou and G. Kleftaras.

References

Battle, J. (1977). A comparison of two self-report inventories. Psychological Reports, 41, 159–160.
Battle, J. (1980). The relationship between self-esteem and depression among high school students. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 51, 157–158.
Battle, J. (1981). Culture-free SEI self-esteem inventories for children and adults. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Battle, J. (1992). Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventories. Examiner’s Manual (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Battle, J. (2002). Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventories (3rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Didaskalou, E., & Kleftaras, G. (2009). Self-esteem and depression in students with special educational needs. Journal of the Hellenic Society of Psychological Educational Support.
Kleftaras, G., & Didaskalou, E. (2007, November). Self-esteem and depressive symptomatology in students with special educational needs. Paper presented at the 2nd Congress of Scientists Caring for Chronically Ill Individuals, Larissa.