Thinking styles, self-esteem, and extracurricular experiences

This study had two objectives. The first was to examine the relationship between thinking styles and self-esteem. The second objective was to investigate the relationship of the participants' extracurricular experiences to both thinking styles and self-esteem. Seven-hundred and ninety-four university students from Hong Kong participated in the study. Participants responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory (Sternberg & Wagner, 1992) and the Self-Esteem Inventory (Adult Form, Coopersmith, 1981) as well as to a questionnaire designed to elicit both personal and situational characteristics. It was found that thinking styles and self-esteem are statistically related. Meanwhile, both thinking styles and self-esteem are statistically related to the participants' extracurricular experiences. Implications of these findings for teachers are discussed.