This study investigated the effect of similarity and reciprocity on dyadic friendship choices. Subjects were 34 third graders and 30 sixth graders. Reciprocal (mutual) and nonreciprocal (nonmutual) friendships were identified through use of the roster sociometric technique, whereby children choose their three best friends from an alphabetized list…

With the increased number of women in the work force, sexual harassment is receiving increased attention from the federal government, journalists, researchers, and counselors. To investigate the influence of two contextual variables (status of the initiator and age of the victim) on perceptions of sexual harassment allegations, 123 college…

A study was conducted to investigate issues related to the development of preschool children's self-definitions of attractiveness. Research questions were (1) At what ages can children state a self-definition of attractiveness? (2) Are self-definitions temporally stable? (3) To what degree are children's self-judgments similar to judgments made of…

Findings indicated that physically attractive couples were more likely to show public intimacy. Younger couples displayed more intimacy than older couples. Couples who were similar in age interacted more than couples who differed in age. Husband-wife attractiveness did not significantly influence intimacy. (Author/BEF)

Background: Physical activity declines during adolescence and strategies to combat this occurrence are both educational and public health priorities. Schools have been identified as central institutions for the promotion of physical activity among youth. While physical education is considered to be the major vehicle for physical activity promotion…

In three experiments, we traced the development of the adult pattern of judgments of attractiveness for faces that have been altered to have internal features in low, average, or high positions. Twelve-year-olds and adults demonstrated identical patterns of results: they rated faces with features in an average location as significantly more…

This study determined multivariate relationships of the impression cues of attractiveness and effort with teacher expectations and dyadic interaction in two groups of elementary school children. (Author/JMK)

Concepts of human differences were studied among 5th and 11th graders in the United States, Japan, and China. Relative to their peers, more American students noted differences in appearance/attractiveness and material resources; more Japanese noted various physical features, and more Chinese noted specific behaviors. With increasing age, Americans…

Examined women's agreement with double standard of aging. Women (N=32) aged 28 to 63 shared definitions of attractiveness, femininity, and sexual appeal. Findings showed attractiveness was defined primarily by appearance, femininity by behavior and inferred traits, and sexual appeal by both. Found age differences among married women, but few age…

The attitudes of young and elderly adults toward their own bodies were investigated; subjects (N=274) rated 35 aspects of their bodies. Elderly subjects expressed less positive attitudes toward bodily functioning and attractiveness. Some sex differences and areas in which age differences are reversed are discussed. (Author/EMK)

Students rated photographs of teachers on seven factors of teacher performance. Across all developmental levels and all factors, ratings of unattractive teachers were lower. At all developmental levels, older teachers received lower ratings than younger teachers. Sex of teacher was a more influential factor at grades 11 and 13. (Author/RD)

The study found relative independence of the specific components of self-concept in 200 gifted pupils enrolled in self-contained enrichment classes in grades 5 through 8. Self-perceptions of social and scholastic competence and of physical appearance were the major contributors to self-concept. There was no evidence of a developmental process. (DB)

Kindergarten and third-grade subjects (n=160) responded to videotape excerpts of children either with or without Down's Syndrome and with or without the label and description "mentally retarded." The subjects' affective evaluations, belief endorsements, and behavioral intentions were assessed, using the independent variables of grade, gender,…

Given that young people are extremely concerned with how they appear socially, beguiling and glamorous portrayals of smokers in recent films may be contributing to the continual rise in college student smoking. The pervasive positive depiction of smokers as attractive and appealing easily preys on young people who lack confidence and self esteem.…

Using feminist theory about the social construction of the female body, a scale was developed and validated to measure objectified body consciousness in young women (n=502) and middle-age women (n=151) using surveillance, body shame, and appearance control beliefs. The three scales were demonstrated to be distinct dimensions with acceptable…