Validation of the Polish version of the Collective Self-Esteem Scale

Abstract

<b>Background</b><br /> The aim of this article is to present research on the validity and reliability of the Collective Self-Esteem Scale (CSES) for the Polish population. The CSES is a measure of individual differences in collective self-esteem, understood as the global evaluation of one’s own social (collective) identity.<br /> <br /> <b>Participants and procedure</b><br /> Participants from two samples (n = 466 and n = 1,009) completed a paper-pencil set of questionnaires which contained the CSES and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and subsets of participants completed scales related to a sense of belonging, well-being and psychological distress (anxiety and depression).<br /> <br /> <b>Results</b><br /> Like the original version, the Polish version of the CSES comprises 16 items which form the four dimensions of collective self-esteem: Public collective self-esteem, Private collective self-esteem, Membership esteem and Importance of Identity. The results confirm the four-factor structure of the Polish version of the CSES, support the whole Polish version of the CSES as well as its subscales, which represent satisfactory reliability and stability, and provide initial evidence of construct validity.<br /> <br /> <b>Conclusions</b><br /> As the results of the study indicate, the Polish version of the CSES is a valid and reliable self-report measure for assessing the global self-esteem derived from membership of a group and has proved to be useful in the Polish context.