Standarization of the Tennessee Self-concept scale in a sample of Mexican women

In Latin America psychologists tend to use imported psychometric instrument s rather than constructing valid and reliable instruments, standardizing th em in the context of national, regional or local norms. The present study c ollected data on the application of the Tennessee Self Concept Scale to 112 6 Mexican women of 14 to 71 years of age who volunteered to participate. Th e purpose of the study was to develop norms, which could be used to assess patients attending the Mexican Institute of Perinatology. Twenty out of 22 scores showed significant differences with the original scale, exceptions i ncluded the B-moral column and total variability scores. The distribution o f the Mexican sample resulted significantly different to the original US di stribution. Results suggest a significantly distinct concept and appreciati on of the status of self-esteem in terms of the compared norms. Most differ ences encompass overdiagnosing patients as "cases" when using the original norms; the only notorious exception was, again, the B-moral ethical self sc ale.