Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory – CSEI
A 58-item self-report instrument designed to measure evaluative attitudes toward the self in social, academic, family, and personal areas.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory – CSEI was developed by Stanley Coopersmith (1967). It is designed to measure Self-Esteem. The scale is intended for use with Adults and Adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 58 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: General Self, Social Self-Peers, Home-Parents, Work-Academic, Lie Scale.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| General Self | 2,3,7,8,9,10,15,16,17,22,23,24,29,30,31,36,37,38,42,43,44,46,50,51,52,56,57,58 | 28 |
| Social Self-Peers | 4,11,18,25,28,32,39,45,53,55 | 10 |
| Home-Parents | 5,12,19,26,33,40,47,54 | 8 |
| Work-Academic | 14,21,35,49 | 4 |
| Lie Scale | 1,6,13,20,27,34,41,48 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Like Me, 0 = Unlike Me.
The scale includes 31 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 50. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Self-Esteem: 0 – 25
- Medium Self-Esteem: 26 – 37
- High Self-Esteem: 38 – 50
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High test-retest reliability (r > .80).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.