Psychometric properties of the self-concept questionnaire

The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ). Data from three samples were used: (1) a representative sample of women (18-30 years) from the general population of Sweden (n = 826), (2) a student sample (n = 124), and (3) a clinical sample (n = 43) comprising patients with eating disorders. Principal component analysis (PCA) resulted in a five-factor solution that accounted for 46% of the variance. The students responded to the SCQ twice within 3 weeks and the SCQ showed high test-retest reliability with no significant differences in the mean total scores between the first and second set of responses. In all the samples, the SCQ showed very high internal consistency, ranging from .94 to .97. The SCQ showed high validity as it correlated highly with Rosenberg scale of self-esteem in the patient group, and the Ineffectiveness subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory in the student sample. Furthermore, the SCQ showed high discriminant validity by differentiating clinical from non-clinical subjects. In summary, the Swedish version of SCQ has been shown to possess good concurrent and discriminant validity as well as high reliability. Given its multidimensionality and encouraging preliminary psychometric properties, the SCQ can be a valuable instrument in assessing self-esteem in clinical settings as well as in the studies of the general population.