Translation when There Is No Direct Equivalent—An Experimental Comparison of Different Translations of the Subjunctive Mood in the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale

Translating questionnaires is challenging when the source language structure lacks equivalents in the target language. Using item 8 (“I wish I could have more respect for myself”) of the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, we experimentally compared three strategies for translating the subjunctive mood from English to Chinese: (1) a close translation preserving vocabulary and structure; (2) an adaptive translation explicitly expressing the self-esteem deficiency; and (3) a problematic yet widely used translation. Results showed the adaptive translation yielded better psychometric properties than the close translation and increased respondent alertness through explicit negative wording. Our findings suggest that the issues with item 8 in non-English samples likely stem from inappropriate translation rather than cross-cultural differences.