Adolescent Clothing and Adjustment

Abstract

The major objectives of this research were to explore two basic general questions: (1) does race, sex, or grade influence clothing and social and personal adjustment variables, and (2) what are the relationships among clothing attitudes and adjustment variables? The subjects were 213 fe males and males (age range 14–19), Blacks and Whites, ninth and tenth grade, in a city high school. Demographic facts of race, sex, and grade were transcribed from school records. A question naire was designed in three sections to collect data for clothing attitudes and social and personal adjustment variables. Differences in race, sex, and grade were tested by analysis of variance. Chi‐square statistics were computed to test that the coefficients of correlation were from the same population. Race, sex, and grade did not have an effect on the clothing attitude, dressing for self. Sex had an effect on feelings of clothing deprivation, with females experiencing more deprivation than males. The effect of sex on dressing for others indicated that females more than males were likely to dress for others. The white subjects regarded dressing for others as more important than the black subjects. Tenth grade subjects regarded dressing for others as more important than 9th grade sub jects. Self‐acceptance was affected by sex. Females had lower self‐acceptance than the males, with black 10th graders having the lowest self‐acceptance. Black subjects accepted Blacks socially, and Whites accepted Whites.

Effect of Economic Stress on Perceived Clothing Deprivation Among High School Students

“…Because previous studies of clothing deprivation have revealed inconsistent results for the variable sex (Cheek, 1978;Drake & Ford, 1979;Stuart, 1983;Vener & Hoffer, 1959), an analysis of variance was conducted to test the effect of sex on clothing deprivation for the current sample. Because previous studies of clothing deprivation have revealed inconsistent results for the variable sex (Cheek, 1978;Drake & Ford, 1979;Stuart, 1983;Vener & Hoffer, 1959), an analysis of variance was conducted to test the effect of sex on clothing deprivation for the current sample.…”

The Commodification of Self‐Esteem: Branding and British Teenagers

“…Adolescents gain acceptance and security by consuming (and dressing) in ways considered to be acceptable by their peer groups. This is why Drake and Ford () argue that “permitting adolescents to dress like others, may aid in the development of self and move them toward greater self‐acceptance” (p. 290). This “group‐person connectivity” is often used by advertisers to encourage participation in adolescent‐directed campaigns.…”

“…Furthermore, considering that clothing (Darley, ) and sports trainers/sneakers (Hogg, Bruce, & Hill, ) are particularly socially and psychologically relevant to teenagers, it is not surprising that these item categories bear specific significance for them. After all, “anything that promises to gain acceptance for the adolescent receives considerable attention, particularly in the area of personal appearance” (Drake & Ford, , p. 283).…”

Psychological Well-being in Adolescents with Lower SES: The Roles of System Justifying Beliefs, Anger, and Admiration

“…Psikolojik iyi oluşun yapı taşlarından biri olan kendini kabul etme (self-acceptance) (Ryff, 1989), ergenlik döneminde de tarih boyunca önemli bir yer tutmuştur (bkz., Drake ve Ford, 1979;Medinnus, 1965). Düşük SES'den ergenlerin varlıklı yaşıtlarını kendilerinden daha yetkin ve fiziksel olarak daha çekici görmeleri ergenlerin kendilerini kabul etmelerini zorlaştırıyor olabilir.…”