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TRANSCRIPT
Who do middle school
girls choose as friends?
What we know from existing research is:
Peer acceptance is critical to girls’ social development, friendship
formations, self-esteem, psychosocial well-being, and quality of life.1
Friendships with peers are often based on perceived similarities (i.e.,
attitudes, values, personality traits) and appearance, such as weight.2-3
Teasing intensifies in middle school and weight-related teasing occurs
more often than victimization related to factors such as disability or
race. It is comparable to rates of bullying due to sexual orientation.4
Obesity increases a girl’s susceptibility to peer victimization and
heightens the negative psychological consequences.5
Middle School Girls’ Friendship Preferences:
Attitudes towards Girls who are Obese
Mary Holleran, OTS
Kerryellen Vroman PhD., OTR/L
University of New Hampshire,
Durham, NH
Introduction
Methods
Results Discussion
Physical appearance influences middle school girls’ friendship choices. The
most desired friends by participants were the white girl and white girl on
crutches, who were perceived as most similar to themselves. Girls who are
obese are stigmatized by peers and are seen as undesirable as friends
comparative to girls with a cognitive disability. Three themes emerged
explaining friendship preference based on appearance: she is like me, I can
help her, and I don’t think we would be friends.
Conclusion
Instrument:
The Friendship Preference Activity (FPA) measures friendship choices of
girls based on appearance. Participants rank 8 girls from their photograph
as most desirable to least desirable as potential friends. This is done by
selecting self-adhesive images and placing them in order on the activity
work sheet. An explanation for each choice is written next to the image.
Girls’ reasons for their friendship choices:
Contact Information Acknowledgments
Participants did not desire the girl with an intellectual disability as a
friend because they lack knowledge about how to relate to her.
However, as in past research, the stigma associated with obesity was
explicitly expressed towards the girl who was obese (i.e., attributions
of blame for weight and negative qualities such as laziness).5
Findings validate that girls who are overweight are marginalized by
peers based on predetermined stigmatizing attitudes.
Peer stigmatization and limited knowledge creates a lack of social
opportunities with negative consequences for social development,
psychological well-being, and self-esteem.
There is a need to address biases and friendship preference when
fostering social participation and involvement in peer groups.
Further evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies that
address the psychosocial consequences of obesity are essential.
Strategies for decreasing bullying and stigmatization by peers, especially
in school settings.
Healthcare and education professionals need to be aware of and address
personal prejudices to create an accepting climate for all adolescents.
Implications
Mary Holleran [email protected]
Dr. Kerryellen Vroman
Summer Undergraduate Research
Fellowship, Hamel Center for Undergraduate
Research, University of New Hampshire
Physical Appearance
Assumptions & Stigma
Desirability as a Friend
1. To understand the perceived attractiveness and preference relative to
desirability as a friend based on outward appearance.
2. To identify the idiographic rationale for girls’ choices to provide
insight into the motivation to initiate friendships relative to another
girl’s appearance.
Study objectives
This study investigated the role of physical appearance on friendship
choice to determine susceptibility to marginalization. Middle school girls
(N=83) completed a survey measuring friendship preferences based on
appearance. Based on friendship desirability the girls most desired were
the white girl and the white girl on crutches and least desired were the girl
who was obese and the girl with Down Syndrome. Three themes emerged
from participants’ written explanations to explain their choices.
References
1 Zeller, M.H., Reiter-Purtill, J., & Ramey, C. (2008). Negative peer perceptions of obese children in the classroom
environment. Obesity (Silver Spring), 16(4), 755-762. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.4
2 Rayner, K. E., Schniering, C. A., Rapee, R. M., Taylor, A., & Hutchinson, D. M. (2013). Adolescent girls’ friendship
networks, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating: Examining selection and socialization processes. Journal of
abnormal psychology, 122(1), 93-104. doi: 10.1037/a0029304
3 Valente, T. W., Fujimoto, K., Chou, C. P., & Spruijt-Metz, D. (2009). Adolescent affiliations and adiposity: a social
network analysis of friendships and obesity. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 202-204.
4 Puhl, R. M., Luedicke, J., & Heuer, C. (2011). Weight‐based victimization toward overweight adolescents: observations
and reactions of peers. Journal of School Health, 81(11), 696-703.
5 Hayden‐Wade, H. A., Stein, R. I., Ghaderi, A., Saelens, B. E., Zabinski, M. F., & Wilfley, D. E. (2005). Prevalence,
characteristics, and correlates of teasing experiences among overweight children vs. non‐overweight peers. Obesity
Research, 13(8), 1381-1392.
6 Latner, J. D., & Stunkard, A. J. (2003). Getting worse: the stigmatization of obese children. Obesity research, 11, 452-456.
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Rank Order
African American Asian Glasses Wheelchair
Most Popular Least Popular
Most Popular Least Popular
Figure 2: Moderately Rated Friendship
Preference Trends
Figure 2 illustrates the relatively stable trend lines of the other
photographed girls: Girl with glasses, Asian girl, African American
girl, and Girl in the wheelchair. Participants chose these girls
moderately for all rank-order, with peak selection being 3rd to 6th.
Assumptions middle school girls associated with physical appearances
and similarity to self are attributed to other girls when determining
desirability as friends i.e., the white girl who is popular and described as
nice, happy, fun and seen as homogenous with self-identity.
Unlike previous research, in this study a girl who is obese desirability as a
friend was compared not only to girls of other races or with physical
disabilities, but also to a girl with an intellectual disability.6
Participants:
Eighty-three 7th and 8th grade girls were recruited from four schools, three
public and one private, in New Hampshire and Maine. Average age was 13
years old. The majority of participants were white (n=69). Average weight
of girls was 116.9 lbs and height was 62.8 inches, with an average BMI
(20.8) within normal range.
Data Analysis:
Descriptive analysis (i.e., frequencies) was used to rank each girl. Content
analysis was performed i.e., the written explanations were independently
coded by authors, agreement was established, and the written explanations
were reviewed, to identify three themes.
Figure 1 shows the frequencies of choice as a friend for the White
girl and girl on crutches who were most desired as friends and the
girls’ who were least desired as friends; the girl who is obese and
the girl with Down Syndrome.
22
19
16
10
5 6
2 3 3
1
8 9
13 12
16
21
30
23
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2 3 3
0
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10 10
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0
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Rank Order
Crutches Down Syndrome White Obese
Most Popular Least Popular
Least Popular Most Popular
Figure 1: Highest and Lowest Friendship
Preference Trends
She is like me
Perceived similarity among the girl in the
photograph and the participant.
Consistent with the concept of homophily
i.e. homogeneity in friendship selection
and social groups.
Based on similar physical appearance,
participants assumed that the girls would
also have positive personality traits,
qualities, and values that are similar to
their own.
She looks nice and seems like a good friend to have.
She reminds me of myself.
This girl seems like my other friends.
I can help her
Reflected altruism, the willingness to help.
Participants wanted to help the girls with
physical disabilities.
Desire to form a one-sided friendship in
which the participant was helping a peer
with a physical disability, rather than a
mutual relationship .
Even though she has a disability she still looks strong and happy.
I can help her when she needs it.
I feel bad for her and I would want to be friends with her.
I feel like she needs a friend.
Sense of social distance and discomfort
which led to social marginalization.
Rejection of a girl as a desirable friend.
The girl who is obese was undesirable
because she is overweight. The girl with
Down Syndrome was undesirable because
of participants’ lack of knowledge.
I don’t like girls who look like that.
We wouldn’t be friends
She doesn’t look like someone I would get along with.
It might be hard to know how to be friends with her. I wouldn’t know how
to act around her.