Peer vs. Media Influence on Female Adolescent Clothing Preference
Date of Award
2006
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Barton, Michelle
Keywords
Female Adolescent, Clothing/Peer, Media
Area of Concentration
Psychology
Abstract
This study compared peer and media influences on female adolescent clothing preference (conservative vs. non-conservative styles). There were 37 female adolescent participants who rated 36 black and white clothing items on how likely they would be to wear each item. Participants were randomly assigned into 1 of 3 groups (peer, media, or control). Those in the peer group were given a verbal experimental manipulation about fellow peers rating clothing items as the trendiest styles. Those in the media group were given a similar instruction, but were instead told that a popular girls� magazine had rated these clothing items as the trendiest styles. Finally, those in the control group were only instructed to rate their preferences of the clothing items. In addition, participants responded to a brief survey regarding their everyday clothing motivations. It was hypothesized that those in the peer group would rank all clothing items more highly, followed by the media group, and lastly the control group. Secondly, it was hypothesized that participants overall would rate non-conservative styles higher than conservative items. Finally, it was anticipated that there would be an interaction effect, such that those in the peer group would rate the nonconservative items the highest, followed by the media group, and then the control. The results demonstrated no significant differences between groups, nor an interaction between group and clothing style. There was, however, a significant effect for clothing style, such that there was an overall preference for non-conservative vs. conservative styles of clothing. Findings support future research to investigate why certain clothing styles are preferred amongst female adolescents. Additionally, future research on programs and forums for clothing/appearance issues and self-expression is discussed.
Recommended Citation
Steele, Jennifer, "Peer vs. Media Influence on Female Adolescent Clothing Preference" (2006). Theses & ETDs. 3722.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/3722
Rights
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