Comparative Study of Self-Esteem and Automatic Thoughts between Male and Female Undergraduate Engineering Students

This study explores the comparison of self-esteem and automatic thoughts of male and female undergraduate engineering students. The sample size consisted of 110 young adults (55 males and 55 females), who were aged between 18-25 years. The sample was purposively selected from Engineering students by administering the Self-Esteem Rating Scale and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire on them. The data was further analysed with the help of SPSS version 27. The findings revealed significant gender differences in self-esteem, with male and female students displaying distinct levels of self-worth. Similarly, automatic thoughts varied significantly across genders, indicating that the automatic cognition differ between male and female undergraduate engineering students. Additionally, the study identified a significant negative relationship between self-esteem and automatic thoughts. This suggests that students experiencing higher levels of automatic thoughts tend to report lower self-esteem, highlighting the detrimental impact of maladaptive cognition on psychological well-being. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive interventions that promote psychological resilience and well-being among undergraduate engineering students.