Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale – SGSES
Measures individual expectations of personal efficacy in general and social situations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale – SGSES was developed by Sherer, M., Maddux, J. E., Mercandante, B., Prentice-Dunn, S., Jacobs, B., & Rogers, R. W. (1982). It is designed to measure Self-Efficacy. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 23 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: General Self-Efficacy, Social Self-Efficacy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| General Self-Efficacy | 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,11,12,13,15,16,17,19,20,22,23 | 17 |
| Social Self-Efficacy | 4,8,10,14,18,21 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 14 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 23 to 115. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Self-Efficacy: 23 – 57
- Moderate Self-Efficacy: 58 – 91
- High Self-Efficacy: 92 – 115
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of General subscale Alpha = 0.86, Social subscale Alpha = 0.71.
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.