Hollywood: Not Too Different From High School?

Researchers interested in understanding adolescents' popularity use peer nomination instruments to reveal those teens who are highly popular or unpopular. The procedure is very simple, studies show that it is quick, ethical, and easy for youth to understand. Most importantly, the information collected gives researchers insight into one of the most consistent predictors of youths' long term adaptation. In other words, studies of popularity help psychologists learn which kids may experience difficulties and may need help.

In a class studying "Popularity, Friendship, and Peer Relations," 260 undergraduate students (mostly female) participated in a mock-study by providing peer nominations of 99 celebrities. The results offered many remarkable similarities to what we know about peer relations in adolescents. A brief summary of findings are presented here. This summary is organized by four major sets of findings:

1. There are two different kinds of "Popularity."

Researchers have demonstrated that in adolescence, popularity comes in two different forms. First is the traditional measure of popularity, defined by how much youth report that they like one another. Studies of this type of popularity suggest that youth can be classified into five categories, including youth who are "Popular" (i.e., very well-liked, but not disliked), "Rejected" (i.e., very disliked, but not well-liked), "Neglected" (i.e., neither liked or disliked; low visibility in the peer network), "Controversial" (i.e., both liked and also disliked; very visible in the peer network), and Average.

Interestingly, data from our mock-study revealed that these five categories could be differentiated using Hollywood Celebrities!

Popular:

Beyonce Knowles

Brad Pitt

Daniel Radcliffe

Ellen Degeneres

Jennifer Aniston

Johnny Depp

Julia Roberts

Leonardo DiCaprio

Matt Damon

Rachel McAdams

Reese Witherspoon

Sandra Bullock

Steve Carrell

Tina Fey

Will Smith

Rejected:

50 Cent

Charlie Sheen

Courtney Love

Howard Stern

Justin Bieber

Kim Kardashian

Lindsey Lohan

Marilyn Manson

Miley Cyrus

Paris Hilton

Pee Wee Herman

Neglected:

Al Pacino

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Ice Cube

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Julia Styles

Kirsten Dunst

Matthew Broderick

Meg Ryan

Missy Elliott

Russell Crowe

Sean Penn

Sinbad

Spike Lee

Sting

Val Kilmer

Woody Harrelson

Controversial:

Jack Black

Kanye West

Lady GaGa

Taylor Swift

Interestingly, I have done this mock-study in my classes for 6 years. A few interesting trends emerge. For instance, results have shown that Brittney Spears' likeability dropped between 2005-2007, and has slowly rebounded since then. Tom Cruise, however, has grown considerably less likeable in the past 6 years, which Rachel McAdams has grown considerably more remarkable during this same time.

Yet, a second type of Popularity also exists in adolescent peer relations. This form of popularity relies less on who is well-liked, and more on who has reputations of dominance. Researchers think that these type of popular adolescents are very influential among their peers, and they are most likely to come from the "Popular" and "Controversial" categories above.

Indeed, our data were consistent with this idea.

Most "Popular" (i.e., most influential/dominance):

Lady GaGa

Oprah Winfrey

Justin Bieber

Beyonce Knowles

Brad Pitt

Kim Kardashian

Taylor Swift

Angelina Jolie

Jay Z

Robert Pattinson

Least "Popular" (i.e., least influential/dominance):

Pee Wee Herman

Sinbad

Marilyn Manson

Woody Harrelson

Ice Cube

Courtney Love

Val Kilmer

Carson Daly

Fred Durst

Lindsey Lohan

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Kathy Lee Gifford

Nick Lachey

Sting

Howard Stern

Notice how there is only moderate similarity in the two types of popularity, just like in research with adolescents.

Trends over time reveal a huge increase in this type of Popularity for Angelina Jolie in the past 6 years. At the same time, there has been a huge decrease in Tom Cruise's popularity.

2. What Predicts Popularity?

In adolescence, there is good evidence to suggest that several factors that predict each type of popularity. For instance, in the USA, high levels of aggressive behavior predict low levels of the type of popularity based on likeability but high levels of popularity based on dominance/influence.

Results from this mock-study with celebrities were somewhat similar. According to undergraduate students, the most aggressive celebrities were:

Most Aggressive:

Charlie Sheen

Kanye West

Eminem

Simon Cowell

50 Cent

Lindsey Lohan

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Russell Crowe

Al Pacino

Howard Stern

Britney Spears

Alec Baldwin

Marilyn Manson

Jack Nicholson

Courtney Love

Fred Durst

Tom Cruise

Paris Hilton

John Mayer

Jay Z

Among celebrities, aggression was strongly associated with low levels of likability. But aggression was not related to "popularity"

Also, similar to research with adolescents, results suggested that celebrities high on physical attractiveness were more likely to be both likeable and popular.

Most Physically Attractive:

Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie

Halle Berry

Jennifer Aniston

Beyonce Knowles

Johnny Depp

George Clooney

Leonardo DiCaprio

Rachel McAdams

Usher

Will Smith

Jennifer Lopez

Zac Efron

Ben Affleck

Matt Damon

Kim Kardashian

Justin Timberlake

Cameron Diaz

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Taylor Swift

Prosocial behavior also was associated with likability and popularity. Same with intelligence as a predictor of celebrities' status. This is inconsistent with work on adolescence. In adolescence, intelligence often is predictive of low popularity, and prosocial behavior is associated with being well-liked, but not popular per se.

Most Prosocial:

Oprah Winfrey

Ellen Degeneres

Taylor Swift

Jennifer Aniston

Angelina Jolie

Will Smith

Reese Witherspoon

Sandra Bullock

Julia Roberts

Beyonce Knowles

Rachel McAdams

Steve Carrell

Tina Fey

Adam Sandler

Lady GaGa

Brad Pitt

Tyra Banks

Gwyneth Paltrow

Justin Bieber

Drew Barrymore

Most Intelligent:

Oprah Winfrey

Tina Fey

Ellen Degeneres

Will Smith

Sandra Bullock

Meryl Streep

Matt Damon

Regis Philbin

Conan O'Brien

Angelina Jolie

Johnny Depp

Julia Roberts

Tom Hanks

Leonardo DiCaprio

Beyonce Knowles

Whoopi Goldberg

Lady GaGa

Daniel Radcliffe

Steve Carrell

George Clooney

So, what have we learned? To some extent, the factors that lead to likeability and popularity for our adolescents in high school are not too different from the factors that lead to the same reputations among celebrities. There are some differences as well. Have our high school experiences shaped how we base our preferences even among individuals we do not really know? Is Hollywood our extension of high school peer context all over again (there's a song about this by Bowling for Soup, I believe).

Either way, one thing is clear. Some of these celebrities need to call their publicist, ASAP!