State Self-Esteem Scale – SSES (Current Thoughts Scale)
Measures temporary fluctuations in self-esteem across performance, social, and appearance dimensions.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The State Self-Esteem Scale – SSES (Current Thoughts Scale) was developed by Todd F. Heatherton & Janet Polivy (1991). It is designed to measure State Self-Esteem. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Performance Self-Esteem, Social Self-Esteem, Appearance Self-Esteem.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Self-Esteem | 1,4,5,9,14,18,19 | 7 |
| Social Self-Esteem | 2,8,10,13,15,17,20 | 7 |
| Appearance Self-Esteem | 3,6,7,11,12,16 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = not at all, 2 = a little bit, 3 = somewhat, 4 = very much, 5 = extremely.
The scale includes 13 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low State Self-Esteem: 20 – 50
- Moderate State Self-Esteem: 51 – 80
- High State Self-Esteem: 81 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.92.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.