The Effects of Obedience/Disobedience and Obese/Nonobese Body Type on Social Acceptance by Peers

One hundred eight male and female third, fourth, and fifth graders viewed videotapes of obese and average weight boys who were obedient or disobedient to a female adult. Afterwards the Ss assigned adjectives to the boys they had seen in the tapes and indicated which one they would prefer as a playmate. Disobedient boys were less preferred than obedient boys, and obese boys were less preferred than average weight boys. These results are consistent with the notion that obesity is viewed as an undesirable characteristic. However, an obedient boy was always more preferred than a disobedient boy regardless of appearance. Thus, behavior, as well as appearance, seems to be a salient factor in acceptance.