SEI
Self-Esteem Inventory
This exploratory questionnaire describes the components of self-esteem: sense of self-worth, confidence in one's abilities, need for approval, comparison with others, the inner critic, and the tendency to downplay one's successes. The profile helps distinguish globally low self-esteem from a lack of confidence in a specific area, and focus the work on self-criticism or impostor feelings.
- Number of questions
- 24 questions
- Estimated duration
- 6 minutes
- Language
- English
- Original name
- Self-Esteem Inventory
- Target audience
- Adults
- Category
- Self-esteem
- Exploratory questionnaire
- Exploratory questionnaire
Preview of the 24 questions
Scoring & interpretation
Scoring
| Downplaying successes | 9 / 16 |
Difficulty acknowledging one's successes and qualities, which are attributed to luck or circumstances (impostor feelings).
Areas to explore: how the person explains their successes, their reaction to compliments, the fear of being "found out."
| Confidence in one's abilities | 8 / 16 |
The sense of being able to cope, learn, and succeed at what one sets out to do.
Areas to explore: the areas where doubt is strongest (work, relationships, practical tasks), what the person gives up because of it.
| Need for approval | 8 / 16 |
Depending on others' views and opinions to feel good or legitimate.
Areas to explore: the people whose opinion matters most, what the person does to please others, their reaction to criticism.
| Comparison with others | 8 / 16 |
A tendency to measure oneself against others, most often unfavorably.
Areas to explore: the people and areas of comparison (appearance, achievement, social life), the role of social media.
| Inner critic | 7 / 16 |
Harsh self-talk: judging oneself severely, putting oneself down, being unable to self-soothe.
Areas to explore: the exact words of the inner critic, where they come from, how the person would talk to a friend in the same situation.
| Self-worth | 6 / 16 |
The sense of having value as a person, regardless of achievements.
Areas to explore: the times when the person feels worthless, where this view comes from, what they still appreciate about themselves.
No validated clinical or psychometric cutoffs have been established for this test yet. The results should therefore be considered exploratory indicators, meant to support the clinical interview, not diagnostic findings.
Scoring
Each statement is scored from 0 (never) to 4 (very often) based on its frequency in everyday life. Each domain combines 4 statements spread throughout the questionnaire, giving a score from 0 to 16.
Reading the profile
There is no total score. Domains are ranked from most to least elevated, each with a description of what it covers and points to explore in the interview. The profile distinguishes the sense of self-worth, which is more global, from confidence in one's abilities, which is more tied to specific situations. The "Inner critic" and "Downplaying successes" domains show what keeps fragile self-esteem going day to day.
Limitations
This exploratory questionnaire has not undergone psychometric validation and has no cutoffs. It supports the clinical interview and does not provide a diagnosis.
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