SINGLE AND MULTIPLE INDICATORS OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AMONG YOUNG ADOLESCENTS

Using a sample of 157 young adolescents (mean age = 11.79 years, SD =. 45) from the Replication and Extension of the Pennsylvania Early Adole scent Transitions Study (REPEATS), the present research examined relat ions among several indicators of physical attractiveness (PA):facial a nd full-body PA ratings, height, weight, and triceps skinfold thicknes s. Appraisals were made of whether multiple PA indicators accounted fo r more variation in measures of psychosocial functioning than did sing le PA indexes. Gender variation in relations among PA indexes and psyc hosocial functioning was assessed also. Facial attractiveness war the most frequent statistically significant predictor of psychosocial func tioning, even when compared with the simultaneous regression equations involving all the PA indexes. Results of separate analyses of males a nd of females were consistent with this finding and no systematic sign ificant gender differences were found. it was concluded that past rese arch that used facial PA adequately represented the links between PA a nd psychosocial functioning in early adolescence.