The Effect Of Emotional Regulation On Self-Esteem Among High School Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of emotional regulation on the self-esteem of students at SMAK Sint Carolus Kupang during the 2025/2026 academic year. This study employed a quantitative, associative-causal research design. The study population consisted of 106 10th- and 11th-grade students at SMAK Sint Carolus Kupang during the 2025/2026 academic year. The sample consisted of 53 students selected using simple random sampling. Data collection tools included an emotional regulation questionnaire and a self-esteem questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using simple linear regression with the SPSS version 26 for Windows software. The t-test results showed a calculated t-value of 2.978 with a significance level of 0.004 < 0.05; therefore, the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted and the null hypothesis (H₀) was rejected. The regression equation obtained is Y = 55.046 + 0.360X, indicating that every increase in emotional regulation is followed by an increase in students’ self-esteem. The coefficient of determination (R-squared) of 0.148 indicates that emotional regulation contributes 14.8% to students’ self-esteem, while 85.2% is influenced by other factors outside the scope of this study. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between emotional regulation and the self-esteem of students at SMAK Sint Carolus Kupang for the 2025/2026 academic year.