You can’t sit with us! Key to being a popular teenager is to mimic the ‘Machiavellian-like’ characters in Mean Girls, say psychologists
- A mix of both aggression and affection is the key to being popular, study found
- Bullies become popular through coercion, fun teens do same by being liked
- But Florida-based academics advised that: ‘most popular are feared and loved’
Teenagers hankering to be popular among their classmates should use the ‘Machiavellian-like’ characters from Mean Girls as role models, psychologists have advised.
Their study concluded that the clique of high school girls known as the ‘plastics’ in the Lindsay Lohan blockbuster have grasped the secret to popularity – be both loved and feared.
Snapping between pangs of aggression and affection was found by Florida academics to boost one’s status in a classroom environment.
Aggressive popular teens become and stay popular through coercion and bullish behaviour while outgoing and fun teens reach the same result through cooperation.
Teenagers hankering to be popular among their classmates should use the ‘Machiavellian-like’ characters from Mean Girls as role models, psychologists have advised
But Professor Brett Laursen, from Florida Atlantic University, said: ‘Yet, if you ask any teenager about popularity, you will hear about a third group, who are described as Machiavellian-like.
‘The most popular are feared and loved.
‘Just like the Mean Girls in the iconic American teen comedy, this group of teens can be aggressive when needed and then quickly “make nice” to smooth out any ruffled feathers.’
He added: ‘Adolescents place a lot of emphasis on popularity and they are keenly aware of the difference between being liked and being popular.
‘If forced to choose, many opt for popularity.’
The 2004 film follows previously home-schooled Cady Heron befriend a group of girls known as the ‘plastics’ who relish being the most popular people on campus.
Over a two-year period, researchers followed more than 560 secondary school pupils, with a median age of 13, where classmates identified those who were aggressive, prosocial, meaning outgoing, and both.
The 2004 film follows previously home-schooled Cady Heron befriend a group of girls known as the ‘plastics’ (pictured) who relish being the most popular people on campus
Results revealed three distinct groups of popular adolescents – prosocial popular, aggressive popular and bistrategic popular or Machiavellian.
The Machiavellian group had the highest level of popularity and were above average on physical and relational aggression, as well as on prosocial behaviour.
Researchers said such teens maintain their popularity by balancing forceful behaviour – needed to maintain power – with careful acts of kindness.
Prof Laursen said: ‘Bistrategic adolescents are noteworthy not only for their very high levels of popularity, but also for the way that they balance getting their way with getting along.
‘They were less prosocial than prosocial popular adolescents, but at the same time less physically and relationally aggressive than the aggressive popular adolescents.
‘These youth are truly Machiavellian, maintaining their popularity by off-setting the coercive behaviour required to maintain power with carefully calibrated acts of kindness.’
The study concluded that the clique of high school girls known as the ‘plastics’ in the Lindsay Lohan (second from right) blockbuster have grasped the secret to popularity – be both loved and feared
As expected, prosocial popular adolescents were well-liked and well-adjusted and aggressive popular adolescents were neither.
While Machiavellian-like teens were viewed by their peers as disruptive and angry but were otherwise well-adjusted.
Professor Amy Hartl, senior study author from FAU, said: ‘Prosocial popular adolescents are well-adjusted while aggressive popular adolescents are troubled on many fronts.
‘The prognosis for bistrategic popular youth is mixed.
‘Their well-adjusted social and emotional profile coupled with a moderate propensity for social dominance and rule breaking may prove good or bad depending on the environment, thus providing hope for positive long-term adjustment and concern for the same.’