Purpose of the Questionnaire

The Lawrence Self-Esteem Questionnaire is designed to assess self-esteem in adolescents and young adults aged 12–25 years. It is based on the multidimensional model of self-esteem and measures both general self-esteem and specific aspects such as academic self-esteem, social self-esteem, and physical self-esteem.

Questionnaire Analysis

The tool was originally developed by Lawrence in 1981 and has been updated to meet the needs of the modern adolescent population. It consists of 10 questions and uses a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” The questions are distributed across four sub-dimensions: general self-esteem is assessed with 4 items, academic self-esteem with 3 items, social self-esteem with 2 items, and physical self-esteem with 1 item.

Scoring

Each response is scored from 1 to 4. The total score ranges from 10 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher self-esteem. The subscales are scored separately for more detailed analysis.

Statistical Analysis

General self-esteem ranges from 4 to 16 points, academic self-esteem from 3 to 12 points, social self-esteem from 2 to 8 points, and physical self-esteem from 1 to 4 points. The interpretation of results is based on percentile cutoffs: below the 25th percentile indicates low self-esteem, 25th to 75th percentile moderate, and above the 75th percentile high self-esteem.

Validity

The questionnaire has been shown to be valid across various cultural groups. It presents a high correlation (r = 0.72) with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and demonstrates good discriminant validity.

Reliability

The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach’s α) for the total scale is 0.82. The test–retest reliability over a four-week period is 0.78.
Sample Questions
In general, I feel good about myself.
I believe I am good at schoolwork.
I find it difficult to make friends (reverse item).
I am satisfied with my appearance.

References

Lawrence, D. (1981). The development of a self-esteem questionnaire. British Journal of Educational Psychology.
Smith, P. (2010). Self-Esteem in Adolescence. Psychology Publications.

Keywords

Self-esteem, adolescence, psychometric assessment, multidimensional questionnaire, psychosocial development.