Adolescence
Hollywood: Not Too Different From High School?
Some of these celebrities need to call their publicist, ASAP!
Posted September 12, 2011
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!