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 mlp84@wildcats.unh.edu

Dr. Kerryellen Vroman

kerryellen.vroman@unh.edu

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.

6

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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

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30

23

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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.