Does dyselxia affect self-esteem, self-concept and satisfaction with life in university students?

Abstract

Objectives: Previous literature suggests that dyslexia affects self-esteem and self-concept in school children (Humphrey & Mullins, 2004). This study will extend the research into a sample of university students measuring self-esteem, self-concept and satisfaction with life between a dyslexic and non-dyslexic sample, taking gender (males and females) into account. Method: A questionnaire was utilised that included the Burnett Self-Scale, Reading Self-Concept Scale, and the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale. Results: The initial findings suggest that self-esteem is not affected by dyslexia. When gender was taken to account, dyslexic females showed significantly lower self-esteem compared to their male counterparts. General self-concept was lower in the dyslexic group compared to the non-dyslexic group, which could be localised to reading self-concept. Furthermore, life satisfaction was lower in the dyslexic group compared to the non-dyslexic group which could be accounted for by lower satisfaction with school experience. Conclusion: The study highlighted that self-esteem is a very complex construct, and in light of the findings, future research should address the low levels of self-esteem found in dyslexic females.