Self-Liking/Self Competence Scale (SLCS-R)

{n “title”: “Self-Liking/Self Competence Scale (SLCS-R)”,n “content”: “

Abstract

\n

The Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale (SLCS) and its subsequent revision, the Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale – Revised (SLCS-R), represent a foundational psychometric paradigm in social and personality psychology developed by William B. Swann, Jr. and Romin W. Tafarodi. Designed to address long-standing conceptual ambiguities inherent in unidimensional conceptualizations of global self-esteem—most notably operationalized by Morris Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)—the SLCS-R disaggregates global self-evaluation into two functionally and phenomenologically distinct, co-equal dimensions: Self-Liking (SL) and Self-Competence (SC).

\n

Self-Liking captures the affective, socially contextualized evaluation of the self as a person of moral worth, social value, and intrinsic acceptability, heavily influenced by reflected appraisals, interpersonal belonging, and relational security. In contrast, Self-Competence reflects the instrumental, agentic evaluation of the self as a causal agent capable of intentional action, mastery, efficacy, and goal attainment, deeply grounded in behavioral success and performance feedback. The revised instrument consists of 16 balanced items (8 assessing Self-Liking and 8 assessing Self-Competence, with half of each subscale reverse-scored to control for acquiescence response bias) evaluated on a 5-point Likert response scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

\n

Extensive psychometric investigations across diverse cultural, clinical, and non-clinical populations have consistently demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha typically ranging between .85 and .92 for Self-Liking, and .80 and .86 for Self-Competence), robust test-retest stability, and superior construct validity. Confirmatory factor analyses systematically validate the correlated two-factor model over unidimensional alternatives. By disentangling agentic competence from relational self-worth, the SLCS-R serves as an indispensable tool for researchers and clinicians examining affective disorders, self-enhancement, performance anxiety, perfectionism, and cross-cultural variations in self-concept structure.

\n\n

Keywords

\n

Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale, SLCS-R, two-dimensional self-esteem, self-liking, self-competence, self-worth, generalized self-efficacy, psychometrics, factor analysis, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

\n\n

Authors

\n

The scale was developed and refined through collaborative research conducted by:

\n

\n
• Romin W. Tafarodi, Ph.D. – Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Specialization: Cultural psychology, the self-concept, social cognition, and existential meaning.

\n

• William B. Swann, Jr., Ph.D. – Professor of Social and Personality Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States. Specialization: Identity fusion, Self-Verification Theory, interpersonal perception, and social interaction dynamics.

\n

\n

Correspondence regarding the psychometric properties and theoretical framework of the SLCS-R has historically been directed through academic publications in the Journal of Personality Assessment (1995) and Personality and Individual Differences (2001).

\n\n

Purpose

\n

The primary purpose of the Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale – Revised (SLCS-R) is to provide an empirically rigorous, structurally validated measurement tool that delineates the dual sources of human self-worth. For decades, the dominant psychometric approach treated global self-esteem as a monolithic, unitary construct. However, empirical researchers routinely encountered anomalous findings: individuals often displayed divergent profiles, such as possessing high confidence in their instrumental skills alongside profound feelings of personal unworthiness, or conversely, maintaining deep unconditional self-acceptance while acknowledging limited task-specific competence.

\n

The SLCS-R resolves this psychometric paradox by isolating:

\n

\n
1. Self-Liking: The internalized perception of one’s goodness, relational acceptability, and moral character.

\n

2. Self-Competence: The generalized sense of oneself as an efficacious, agentic actor who achieves desired outcomes through volitional effort.

\n

\n

Research and Clinical Applications

\n

In empirical research, the SLCS-R allows social, cognitive, and personality psychologists to capture differential associations between specific personality traits and self-evaluative components. For instance, Self-Liking correlates profoundly with social integration, attachment security, neuroticism, and affective symptoms of depression. Meanwhile, Self-Competence uniquely predicts achievement motivation, academic persistence, conscientiousness, goal orientation, and coping responses under failure conditions.

\n

In clinical and counseling psychology, the instrument provides nuanced diagnostic utility. A unidimensional score often masks clinically relevant dissociation. For example, individuals experiencing impostor phenomenon or high-functioning depressive states frequently exhibit intact or elevated Self-Competence accompanied by severely compromised Self-Liking. Conversely, defensive or narcissistic profiles may present inflated Self-Liking unsupported by realistic Self-Competence. By differentiating these dimensions, clinicians can tailor therapeutic interventions—such as cognitive-behavioral therapies focusing on competence appraisals versus schema-focused or compassion-focused therapies addressing internalized shame and relational unworthiness.

\n\n

Psychological Construct

\n

Global self-esteem represents an overall subjective evaluation of the self as a valuable entity. Tafarodi and Swann (1995, 2001) posited that this overarching evaluation emerges from two distinct experiential streams: the self as an object of cultural and relational evaluation, and the self as an agent of instrumental action.

\n\n

1. Self-Liking (The Relational/Affective Dimension)

\n

Self-Liking is defined as the affective valuation of oneself as a person, independent of functional efficacy. It reflects whether an individual perceives themselves as intrinsically good, decent, honorable, and socially acceptable. Grounded in the sociological traditions of the “looking-glass self” (Cooley, 1902) and symbolic interactionism (Mead, 1934), Self-Liking is formed primarily through the internalization of positive social regard, unconditional parental warmth, and peer acceptance.

\n

High Self-Liking is characterized by:

\n

\n
• Deep-seated self-comfort and peace with one’s identity (e.g., “I feel great about who I am”).

\n

• Absence of chronic self-deprecation, self-disparagement, or self-condemnation (reverse-scored: “I tend to devalue myself”).

\n

• Unconditional security in personal moral worth, which buffers against rejection, interpersonal conflict, and social exclusion.

\n

\n\n

2. Self-Competence (The Agentic/Instrumental Dimension)

\n

Self-Competence is defined as the positive valuation of oneself as a generalized causal agent capable of exerting control over one’s environment, mastering tasks, and achieving intended outcomes. Rooted in the psychological traditions of effectance motivation (White, 1959) and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977), Self-Competence represents an internalized history of successful instrumental actions, behavioral efficacy, and resilience when confronting obstacles.

\n

High Self-Competence is characterized by:

\n

\n
• A subjective sense of mastery, talent, and capability (e.g., “I am highly effective at the things I do”).

\n

• Perseverance and confidence in goal attainment (e.g., “I am almost always able to accomplish what I try for”).

\n

• Resilience against feelings of behavioral inadequacy or helplessness (reverse-scored: “I sometimes deal poorly with challenges”).

\n

\n\n

Construct Interdependence and Distinctiveness

\n

Although Self-Liking and Self-Competence are positively correlated in typical populations (with correlation coefficients generally falling between r = .45 and r = .65), they are structurally separable. A person may evaluate their competence highly while disliking themselves due to perceived moral failing or lack of love, or conversely, hold themselves in high personal affection despite acute awareness of limited practical skills.

\n\n

Theoretical Framework

\n

The SLCS-R rests upon a theoretical framework that synthesizes classical theories of the self with contemporary socio-cognitive perspectives.

\n\n

1. The Classical Duality: William James vs. Symbolic Interactionism

\n

In his seminal work The Principles of Psychology (1890), William James famously conceptualized self-esteem as the ratio of an individual’s actual accomplishments to their aspirations (Self-Esteem = Success / Pretensions). This competence-based view emphasizes instrumental effectiveness: when individuals succeed at valued tasks, their self-esteem increases; when they fail, it falls. However, sociological theorists such as Cooley (1902) and Mead (1934) argued that self-esteem is fundamentally relational, emerging from reflected appraisals—how we imagine significant others view, judge, and value us.

\n

Tafarodi and Swann posited that rather than choosing between these models, global self-esteem is precisely the integration of both: Jamesian competence evaluations (Self-Competence) and Cooley-Mead social evaluations (Self-Liking).

\n\n

2. Bandura’s Self-Efficacy and Instrumental Action

\n

Self-Competence closely aligns with generalized self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997). Whereas specific self-efficacy pertains to task-bounded beliefs (e.g., solving a mathematical problem), Self-Competence reflects an aggregated, trait-like self-schema regarding one’s capacity to execute volitional behavior across life domains.

\n\n

3. Self-Verification Theory

\n

Swann’s Self-Verification Theory (1983) asserts that individuals are intrinsically motivated to preserve coherent, predictable self-views, even when those views are negative. In the context of the SLCS-R, individuals actively seek feedback, relationships, and environments that verify their established levels of Self-Liking and Self-Competence. Tafarodi and Vu (1997) demonstrated that individuals with low Self-Liking selectively attend to and internalize negative social feedback, whereas those with low Self-Competence withdraw from challenging task environments to avoid failure.

\n\n

Validity

\n

Extensive psychometric investigations have established the construct, convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity of the SLCS-R across numerous samples worldwide.

\n\n

Construct and Factorial Validity

\n

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) systematically demonstrate that a correlated two-factor model provides a significantly better fit to the empirical data than a unidimensional global self-esteem model across both Western and non-Western samples. Across structural equation modeling evaluations, the two-factor solution consistently yields standard goodness-of-fit indices indicating excellent fit (e.g., Comparative Fit Index [CFI] > .95, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] < .05), whereas a single-factor model exhibits unacceptable fit indices (CFI < .80, RMSEA > .10).

\n\n

Convergent Validity

\n

The SLCS-R exhibits strong, theoretically coherent convergent relationships with established psychometric instruments:

\n

\n
• Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES): Both subscales correlate significantly with the RSES (typically r = .60 to .75 for Self-Liking; r = .50 to .65 for Self-Competence), reflecting the RSES’s blend of competence-related and liking-related items.

\n

• General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES): Self-Competence correlates strongly with generalized self-efficacy (r = .65 to .78), whereas Self-Liking demonstrates a noticeably lower correlation (r = .30 to .45).

\n

• Affective Dimensions: Measures of positive affect, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being correlate significantly with both dimensions, confirming their positive valence.

\n

\n\n

Discriminant Validity

\n

Crucially, the two subscales demonstrate sharp divergent patterns when regressed onto distinct psychological outcomes:

\n

\n
• Depression and Anxiety: Self-Liking is a dramatically stronger inverse predictor of depressive symptom severity (Beck Depression Inventory) and social anxiety than Self-Competence. Partial correlation analyses reveal that once Self-Liking is controlled, the relationship between Self-Competence and depressive affect frequently drops to near zero.

\n

• Task Performance and Persistence: In laboratory studies testing reactions to cognitive failure (Tafarodi & Vu, 1997), Self-Competence uniquely predicts behavioral persistence and future performance expectations, whereas Self-Liking accounts for little unique variance in these performance domains.

\n

• Big Five Personality Dimensions: Self-Liking demonstrates strong inverse correlations with Neuroticism (r = -.55 to -.70) and positive links to Agreeableness. Self-Competence correlates robustly with Conscientiousness (r = .40 to .55) and Extraversion.

\n

\n\n

Reliability

\n

The SLCS-R demonstrates exceptional reliability across various psychometric evaluations, establishing its utility for both individual diagnostic assessment and longitudinal research.

\n\n

Internal Consistency

\n

Initial validation studies by Tafarodi and Swann (1995, 2001) established strong internal consistency indices:

\n

\n
• Self-Liking Subscale: Cronbach’s α coefficients consistently range between .85 and .92. McDonald’s ω coefficients routinely confirm strong composite reliability (> .88).

\n

• Self-Competence Subscale: Cronbach’s α coefficients typically range between .79 and .86, reflecting solid internal cohesion among items assessing instrumental efficacy.

\n

\n

The revised 16-item version (SLCS-R) removed ambiguous and cross-loading items present in the original 20-item iteration, resulting in balanced subscales with equal numbers of positively keyed and reverse-keyed items (4 positive and 4 negative per subscale), substantially dampening acquiescence variance and stabilizing reliability across diverse populations.

\n\n

Test-Retest Stability

\n

Temporal stability evaluations demonstrate that both dimensions function as enduring personality traits:

\n

\n
• Over a 4-week retest interval, stability coefficients consistently exceed r = .80 for Self-Liking and r = .78 for Self-Competence.

\n

• Over longer periods (up to one year), test-retest correlations remain robust (typically r = .65 to .75), demonstrating that while subscale scores are sensitive to major life transitions, they exhibit the stability expected of core self-concept dimensions.

\n

\n\n

Factor Analysis

\n

The empirical differentiation of Self-Liking and Self-Competence has been confirmed through both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

\n\n

Exploratory Factor Structure

\n

In original exploratory principal axis factoring with oblimin or promax rotation, items cleanly segregate into two correlated factors:

\n

\n
• Factor 1 (Self-Liking): Marked by high primary loadings (> .60) for items reflecting self-affection, internal comfort, and moral acceptance (e.g., “I feel great about who I am”, “I tend to devalue myself” [reversed]), with negligible cross-loadings on the competence factor (< .20).

\n

• Factor 2 (Self-Competence): Characterized by high primary loadings (> .55) for items measuring efficacy, skill, and goal fulfillment (e.g., “I am highly effective at the things I do”, “I sometimes fail to fulfill my goals” [reversed]), with negligible cross-loadings on the liking factor.

\n

\n\n

Confirmatory Factor Analytic Results

\n

CFA studies comparing alternative structural models consistently highlight the superiority of the two-factor specification. Typical fit indices obtained in structural equation models include:

\n

\n
• Correlated Two-Factor Model: χ²/df < 2.5, CFI = .96, TLI = .95, RMSEA = .048 (90% CI [.040, .056]), SRMR = .042.

\n

• Unidimensional Model (Single Global Factor): χ²/df > 6.0, CFI = .76, TLI = .72, RMSEA = .118, SRMR = .095.

\n

\n

Furthermore, method-factor modeling reveals that the balance of 8 positively keyed and 8 negatively keyed items in the SLCS-R effectively absorbs valence-related method variance, ensuring that the primary latent factors represent true substantive constructs rather than response styles.

\n\n

Instrument / Measurement Tool

\n

\n
• Test Type: Self-report psychological rating scale.

\n

• Format: 16 items in the standard revised version (SLCS-R), with historical forms utilizing up to 20 items.

\n

• Administration: Available in paper-and-pencil or digital/computerized survey formats; self-administered individually or in group settings.

\n

• Target Population: Adolescents and adults (ages 14 and older).

\n

• Time to Complete: Approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

\n

• Response Scale: 5-point Likert-type response format:

\n

\n
• 1 = Strongly Disagree

\n

• 2 = Disagree

\n

• 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree

\n

• 4 = Agree

\n

• 5 = Strongly Agree

\n

\n

• Subscale Item Composition:

\n

\n
• Self-Liking (8 items): Items 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 15

\n

• Self-Competence (8 items): Items 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16

\n

\n

• Reverse-Scoring Rules:

\n

\n
• The following 8 negatively worded items must be reverse-scored prior to calculating scale totals: Items 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15, and 16 (Recode: 1 → 5, 2 → 4, 3 → 3, 4 → 2, 5 → 1).

\n

\n

• Scoring and Interpretation:

\n

\n
• Self-Liking Score: Sum or mean of items 1(R), 3, 5, 6(R), 7(R), 9, 11, and 15(R). Scores range from 8 to 40 (or 1.0 to 5.0).

\n

• Self-Competence Score: Sum or mean of items 2, 4, 8(R), 10(R), 12, 13(R), 14, and 16(R). Scores range from 8 to 40 (or 1.0 to 5.0).

\n

• Higher scores on each dimension indicate higher levels of perceived Self-Liking and Self-Competence, respectively. While an overall Global Self-Esteem composite can be derived by summing all 16 items (ranging from 16 to 80), reporting both subscale scores is strongly recommended to preserve dimensional specificity.

\n

\n

\n\n

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

\n

The original Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale (SLCS) was published in 1995 by Romin W. Tafarodi and William B. Swann, Jr. The refined and structurally balanced 16-item version, the Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale – Revised (SLCS-R), was published in 2001.

\n

The scale is situated in the academic public domain for non-commercial educational, scientific, and psychological research purposes. No licensing fees or formal permissions are required for non-commercial academic use, provided that appropriate scholarly attribution and citation are given to the scale developers (Tafarodi & Swann, 1995, 2001). Commercial deployment, translation, or inclusion in proprietary assessment platforms requires consultation with the copyright holders and original authors.

\n\n

References

\n

\n
• Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

\n

• Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman and Company.

\n

• Cooley, C. H. (1902). Human nature and the social order. Charles Scribner’s Sons.

\n

• James, W. (1890). The principles of psychology (Vol. 1). Henry Holt and Company.

\n

• Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self, and society. University of Chicago Press.

\n

• Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400876136

\n

• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1983). Self-verification: Bringing social reality into harmony with the self. In J. Suls & A. G. Greenwald (Eds.), Psychological perspectives on the self (Vol. 2, pp. 33–66). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

\n

• Tafarodi, R. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1995). Self-liking and self-competence as dimensions of global self-esteem: Initial validation of a measure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65(2), 322–342. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6502_8

\n

• Tafarodi, R. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2001). Two-dimensional self-esteem: Theory and measurement. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(5), 653–673. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00169-0

\n

• Tafarodi, R. W., & Vu, C. (1997). Two-dimensional self-esteem and reactions to success and failure. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(6), 626–635. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167297236006

\n

• White, R. W. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66(5), 297–333. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0040934

\n

\n\n

13. Items of the Scale (Questionnaire)