Popularity, likeability, and risk-taking in middle adolescence

Stephanie Hawke, Elizabeth Rieger

Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia;.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2013.56A3007                

Abstract

This study investigated the roles of adolescent popularity and likeability in eight domains of risk-taking in Australian grade 9 students (53% girls). The eight domains included previously examined areas of aggressive behaviours, alcohol use, and sexual intercourse, and areas where there is scarce information, including antisocial activities, unprotected intercourse, body image-related risk-taking, unsafe road practices, and stranger-related risk-taking. The results indicated a clear association between popularity and higher risk-taking in five of the eight domains. This is contrasted with likeability, which was not directly related to risk-taking aside from one two-way interaction with gender for sexual intercourse. The findings demonstrate the importance of including a broader range of risk-taking activities when considering popularity, particularly stranger-related risk-taking.

Keywords

Adolescence; Popularity; Peer Status; Risk-Taking

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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