Using Self-Esteem Measures in 4-H

Self-esteem is a popular buzz word for a concept that older youth professionals will recognize as self-respect or self-confidence. Low self-esteem has been blamed as a contributing factor for just about every adolescent affliction except acne. The concept of self-esteem is important to youth professionals because of the presumed causal relationship to youth's behavior. Much of what an individual becomes is thought to be influenced by perceptions of self-worth. Due to the importance of developing self-esteem in youth, a study was done to assess the relationship between youth's satisfaction with the 4-H program and the development of a 4-H member's self-esteem.

Several dimensions of self-esteem interact for an overall assessment of how a person "measures up" to his/her own personal standards. The separate dimensions of self-esteem are a person's pride in his/her achievements, communication abilities, healthy interpersonal relationships, leadership abilities, regard for personal well-being, and decision-making abilities.

An instrument was developed to measure each of these areas in relation to 4-H educational activities. The assessment tool was modeled after the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. It was first field-tested with 90 4-H members at a summer camp program, and then revised to improve validity and reliability. The survey was then tested with 223 4-H members randomly selected from six different county programs in Virginia.

The 4-H Satisfaction Scale indicated that the 4-H program does help youth develop positive self-esteem by allowing them to "test their wings" in a supportive atmosphere. There was a strong response to items involving pride in 4-H activities, indicating that leaders should encourage more youth to participate in Public Speaking, Presentation, and Share-the-Fun activities as a vehicle for enhancing youth self-esteem. Some youth may be timid and just need a little more encouragement, others might need help in understanding that practice will improve their skills and make them feel better about themselves.

The 4-H Satisfaction Scale can be used by agents and leaders to identify youth that need additional encouragement to participate in educational activities that will promote self-esteem enhancement. When administered to a group, the inventory can be used to indicate which activities the group must do to strengthen specific dimensions of self-esteem. The 4-H Satisfaction Scale can also be used as a pre- and post-test instrument to evaluate a long-term program's impact on self-esteem.

The 4-H Satisfaction Scale is an assessment tool that measures youth satisfaction with the 4-H program and the impact of the 4-H program on their level of self-esteem.