Eastern Kentucky University
STUDY 1: Adults Negatively Perceive Overweight Children -
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Rose Perrine
Abstract
research project, I explored adults' perceptions of overweight children. College students were randomly assigned to view a photograph of either an average-weight or an overweight child. The two children were similar in age, attractiveness, clothing, and pose. Participants then gave their perceptions of the child's peer and parent relationships, success in school, physical attractiveness, personality style, and self-esteem. My prediction that the overweight child would be perceived more negatively than the average-weight child was supported. For example, participants perceived the overweight child to be less attractive, confident, clean and fun to be around, as well as less liked by the child's peers and teachers, and less likely to have parents who hold high expectations of the child than the average-weight child. Participants also perceived the overweight child as more lazy, lonely and likely to make lower grades than the average-weight child. The results of this study have significant implications for how the adult world perceives, acts towards, and judges overweight children. This study shows how adults perceive overweight children as less desirable than children who are not overweight. Therefore because of these negative adult perceptions, overweight children are probably facing several obstacles when being stigmatized such as negative biases, prejudices, and discrimination from the adult figures in their life.
STUDY 1: Adults Negatively Perceive Overweight Children -
research project, I explored adults' perceptions of overweight children. College students were randomly assigned to view a photograph of either an average-weight or an overweight child. The two children were similar in age, attractiveness, clothing, and pose. Participants then gave their perceptions of the child's peer and parent relationships, success in school, physical attractiveness, personality style, and self-esteem. My prediction that the overweight child would be perceived more negatively than the average-weight child was supported. For example, participants perceived the overweight child to be less attractive, confident, clean and fun to be around, as well as less liked by the child's peers and teachers, and less likely to have parents who hold high expectations of the child than the average-weight child. Participants also perceived the overweight child as more lazy, lonely and likely to make lower grades than the average-weight child. The results of this study have significant implications for how the adult world perceives, acts towards, and judges overweight children. This study shows how adults perceive overweight children as less desirable than children who are not overweight. Therefore because of these negative adult perceptions, overweight children are probably facing several obstacles when being stigmatized such as negative biases, prejudices, and discrimination from the adult figures in their life.