The Longitudinal Links Between Physical Attractiveness, Peer-Perceived Popularity, and Peer Aggression Among Children

• In Event: 3-154 - The Adaptive Nature of Adolescent Aggression

Integrative Statement

From an evolutionary perspective, girls and women have been shown to display a preference for indirect modes of aggression, such as using derogatory gossip, spreading hurtful rumors, and socially excluding peers, in order to compete with same-sex rivals in pursuit of reproductive benefits. Previous researchers have supported that more physically attractive girls and women tend to be perceived as more popular and have greater access to romantic and sexual partners. In contrast, boys and men have been shown to engage in proportionally more direct forms of aggression, such as verbally taunting and physically hitting same-sex peers in the service of evolutionarily relevant outcomes. Similar to girls and women, more aggressive boys and men appear to be conferred benefits in terms of higher peer-perceived popularity, which increases their access to dating partners. However, the temporal pathways between physical attractiveness, social standing, and different types of aggression (indirect and direct) among girls and boys is still uncertain. In the current study, we endeavored to test the hypothesis that physical attractiveness would initiate the cascade in predicting higher peer-perceived popularity and elevated levels of peer nominated aggression (indirect for girls and direct for boys) among 559 Canadian children (271 girls; T1 Mage=12.88 years, SD=1.24 years) assessed in Grades 6-9 (Time 1) and again one year later in Grades 7-10 (Time 2). We examined the pathways between attractiveness, popularity, and aggression (indirect/direct) in both girls and boys using path analysis. The model fit the data well (χ2(14)=74.274, p<.001; CFI=.961; SRMR=.048). For boys attractiveness was concurrently associated with popularity and indirect and direct aggression; however, these variables were not associated longitudinally. For girls, attractiveness was concurrently related to popularity and indirect aggression. Additionally, we found an indirect pathway from attractiveness (T1) to popularity (T1) to indirect aggression (T2), b=.04 CI[.01-.08], β=.05 CI[.01, .09]. Results support the argument proposed by Vaillancourt and Krems (2018) that physical attractiveness among girls initiates a cascade that leads to heightened popularity in the eyes of peers, which then predicts the strategic use of indirectly aggressive tactics. In contrast, the temporal pathway among attractiveness, popularity, and aggression (both indirect/direct) for boys did not manifest; although, these variables were concurrently related. These findings point to the potential adaptive nature of childhood aggression and the utility of an evolutionary approach in understanding how physically attractive girls rise through the social hierarchy and maintain their social standing by strategically using indirect aggression against competitors.

Authors

• Adam C Davis, University of Ottawa
  Presenting Author

• Heather Brittain, University of Ottawa
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tracy Vaillancourt, University of Ottawa
  Non-Presenting Author