Right hemisphericity and low self-esteem in high school students: a replication.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Adolescent Development

Background:

• Self-esteem is a critical aspect of psychological well-being.
• Hemisphericity, the dominance of one brain hemisphere over the other, has been linked to various cognitive and affective processes.
• Previous research suggests a connection between brain lateralization and self-concept, but studies in adolescent populations are less common.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between hemispheric dominance and self-esteem in adolescents.
• To determine if right-hemispheric activation is associated with lower self-esteem in a student population.
• To compare findings in adolescents with existing research on university students.

Main Methods:

• Administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire to assess self-esteem levels.
• Utilized Vingiano's Hemisphericity Questionnaire to measure brain hemispheric dominance.
• Collected data from a sample of 50 adolescents (26 Grade 9, 24 Grade 12).

Main Results:

• A significant negative correlation was found between right hemisphericity and self-esteem (r = 0.52).
• Adolescents exhibiting greater right hemispheric preference reported lower levels of self-esteem.
• The observed effect size was comparable to that found in studies with university students.

Conclusions:

• Persistent negative affect associated with right hemispheric activation may adversely influence the affective component of self-concept in adolescents.
• Findings support the hypothesis linking right-hemispheric dominance to diminished self-esteem.
• This study highlights the importance of considering brain lateralization in understanding adolescent psychological development and self-esteem.