Instruments

The Piers-Harris 2 provides an overall view of an individual’s self-perception and helps identify children, adolescents, and teenagers who may require further testing and possibly treatment.  It is used in both educational and clinical settings to identify specific problem areas, coping and defense mechanisms, and develop suitable intervention techniques.  The Piers-Harris 2 is available as a handscored Autoscore™ Form. 60 items cover six different subscales (measuring physical appearance and attributes - 14 items, freedom from anxiety - 16 items, intellectual and school status - 11 items, behavioral adjustment - 14 items, happiness and satisfaction - 12 items, and popularity - 10 items), as well as two subscales that account for biased responding and random answering. Items are presented as descriptive statements, and the respondent answers in a yes or no fashion indicating whether or not the statement applies to himself or herself. The resulting total score reflects how the individual perceives himself or herself overall, while scores for each separate subscale provide details that allow for more in-depth interpretation.  A Spanish version is available for children who read Spanish only.

The MHS website provides a description of the Piers-Harris 2 as well as details regarding purchase options, which include both the instrument and its documentation.

Authors provide instrument validity and/or reliability information. 

Instrument documentation:

Kelley, M.L. (2005). Review of the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale-Second Edition. Mental Measurements Yearbook, 16.

Oswald, D. P. (2005) Review of the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale-Second Edition. Mental Measurements Yearbook, 16.

Piers, E. V., & Herzberg, D. S. (2002). Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale-Second Edition Manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.