POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE GLOBAL SELF-ESTEEM - A SUBSTANTIVELY MEANINGFULDISTINCTION OR ARTIFACTORS

Global self-esteem based on M. Rosenberg's (1965) scale is typically t reated as a unidimensional scale. However, factor analyses suggest sep arate factors associated with positively and negatively worded items, and there is an ongoing debate about the substantive meaningfulness of this distinction. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to eval uate alternative 1- and 2-factor models and to test hypotheses about h ow the factors vary with reading ability and age. Responses based on t he National Longitudinal Study of 1988 (S. J. Ingles et al., 1992) ref lected a relatively unidimensional factor and method effects associate d with negatively worded items. Such effects are common in rating stal e responses, and this CFA approach may be useful in evaluating whether factors associated with positively and negatively worded items are su bstantively meaningful or artifactors.