Validation of Rosenberg self-esteem scale for Malaysian adolescents

The 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) has been widely used for measuring global self-esteem. This study aims to validate the Malay version of RSES (RSES-M) among Malaysian adolescents using confirmatory factor analysis. A total of 852 public secondary school students (51% males) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between the ages of 13 and 17 years old completed a self-administered questionnaire that includes the RSES-M. Among the four alternative models of RSES-M, fit indices indicated that the two-factor model with nine items (RSES-M-9) fit best for the sample. Specifically, the positive and negative items loaded onto separate factors and item 8 - "I wish I could have more respect for myself" - was removed due to differences in meaning of the word 'wish' between English and Malay language. Besides, the RSES-M-9 demonstrated a good internal reliability. Taken together, the RSES-M-9 is a valid and reliable scale for measuring Malaysian adolescents' level of self-esteem.