Skip to main content
Log in

The role of attractiveness and aggression in high school popularity

  • Published:
Social Psychology of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the effects of physical attractiveness and aggression on popularity among high school students. Previous work has found positive relationships between aggression and popularity and physical attractiveness and popularity. The current study goes beyond this work by examining the interactive effects of physical attractiveness and aggression on popularity. Controlling for race and gender, the results indicate that attractive students are seen as more physically and relationally aggressive than those who are less attractive. We also found that those who are both physically attractive and aggressive are perceived to be more popular than those without such characteristics. However, the same interaction showed the opposite effect when predicting sociometric popularity instead of perceived popularity. These results contribute to the understanding of the differences between those who are well-liked (sociometric popularity) and those who are socially visible (perceived popularity), and the unique predictors of these two dimensions of status in the peer group.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler P.A., Adler P. (1998) Peer power: preadolescent culture and identity. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Aiken L.S., West S.G. (1991) Multiple regression: testing and interpreting interactions. Sage, Newbury Park, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Asch S.E. (1946) Forming impressions of personality. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 41: 258–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker B.E., Luthar S.S. (2007) Peer-perceived admiration and social preference: Contextual correlates of positive peer regard among suburban and urban adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence 17: 117–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger J., Fisek M.H. (2006) Diffuse status characteristics and the spread of status value: A formal theory. American Journal of Sociology 111: 1038–1079

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buss D.M. (1987) Mate selection criteria: An evolutionary perspective. In: Crawford C., Krebs D.L. (eds) Sociobiology and psychology: Ideas, issues, and applications. Hillsdale, NJ, Lawrence, Erlbaum, pp 335–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Cillessen A.H.N., Mayeux L. (2004) From censure to reinforcement: Developmental changes in the association between aggression and social status. Child Development 75: 147–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cillessen A.H.N., Rose A.J. (2005) Understanding popularity in the peer system. Current Directions in Psychological Science 14: 102–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cillessen A.H.N., Borch C. (2006) Developmental trajectories of adolescent popularity: A growth curve modeling analysis. Journal of Adolescence 29: 935–959

    Google Scholar 

  • Cillessen A.H.N., Borch C. (2008) Analyzing social networks in adolescence. In: Card N., Selig J., Little T. (eds) Modeling dyadic and interdependent data in the developmental and behavioral sciences. Routledge, New York, pp 61–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Crick J.D., Grotpeter J.K. (1995) Relational aggression, gender, and social-psychological adjustment. Child Development 66: 710–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Bruyn E.H., van den Boom D.C. (2005) Interpersonal behavior, peer popularity, and self-esteem in early adolescence. Social Development 14: 555–573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eagly A.H., Ashmore R.D., Makhijani M.G., Longo L.C. (1991) What is beautiful is good, but . . . : A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype. Psychological Bulletin 110: 109–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feingold A. (1992) Good-looking people are not what we think. Psychological Bulletin 111: 304–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawley P.H., Johnson S.E., Mize J.A., McNamara K.A. (2007) Physical attractiveness in preschoolers: Relationships with power, status, aggression, and social skills. Journal of School Psychology 45: 499–521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson L.A., Hunter J.E., Hodge C.N. (1995) Physical attractiveness and intellectual competence: A meta-analytic review. Social Psychology Quarterly 58: 108–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jussim L., Harber K.D. (2005) Teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies: Knowns and unknowns, resolved and unresolved controversies. Personality and Social Psychology Review 9: 131–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanazawa S., Kovar J.L. (2004) Why beautiful people are more intelligent. Intelligence 32: 227–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaFontana K.M., Cillessen A.H.N. (2002) Children’s stereotypes of popular and unpopular peers: A multi-method assessment. Developmental Psychology 38: 635–647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lease A.M., Kennedy C.A., Axelrod J.L. (2002a) Dimensions of social status in preadolescent peer groups: Likeability, perceived popularity, and social dominance. Social Development 11: 508–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lease A.M., Kennedy C.A., Axelrod J.L. (2002b) Children’s social constructions of popularity. Social Development 11: 87–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazur A. (1985) A biosocial model of status in primate groups. Social Forces 64: 377–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merton R.K. (1949) Social theory and social structure. Ill. Free Press, Glencoe

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulford M., Orbell J., Shatto C., Stockard J. (1998) Physical attractiveness, opportunity, and success in everyday exchange. American Journal of Sociology 103: 1565–1592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rose A.J., Swenson L.P., Waller E.M. (2004) Overt and relational aggression and perceived popularity: Developmental differences in concurrent and prospective relations. Developmental Psychology 40: 378–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal R., Jacobson L. (1968) Pygmalion in the classroom. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal R. (1976) Experimenter effects on behavioral research (2nd ed.). Irvington, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Shelley R.K. (2001) How performance expectations rise from sentiments. Social Psychology Quarterly 64: 72–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith M. (1980) Meta-analysis of research on teacher expectation. Evaluation in Education 4: 53–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Symons D. (1979) The evolution of human sexuality. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster M. Jr., Driskell J.E. Jr. (1983) Beauty as status. American Journal of Sociology 89: 140–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Casey Borch.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Borch, C., Hyde, A. & Cillessen, A.H.N. The role of attractiveness and aggression in high school popularity. Soc Psychol Educ 14, 23–39 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9131-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9131-1

Keywords

Navigation