Latina Teens’ Identification with and Social Comparison to Mothers on Teen Mom

Abstract

A survey was conducted with low income Latina teens (M = 13.31 years of age) to examine the ways in which exposure, identification with, and social comparison to teen mothers featured on the MTV program Teen Mom influenced attitudes toward teen pregnancy. Analyses revealed that those who identified with and looked up to the teen mothers on Teen Mom were less likely to think getting pregnant would be embarrassing, a terrible event, or prevent them from achieving their dreams. The identification and upward social comparison processes observed here extend those observed in previous research across ethnic, income, and cultural differences. Implications regarding the potentially negative effects of portrayals of teen motherhood on Teen Mom are discussed.

Notes

¹ The survey data used in this study were collected as part of a clinical trial. This clinical trial is registered under the name “JUEGA: A fun study for Hispanic/Latino adolescent girls” (#NCT02578147).

² The survey data used in this study were collected as part of a clinical trial. This clinical trial is registered under the name “JUEGA: A fun study for Hispanic/Latino adolescent girls” (#NCT02578147).

³ Mighty Girls is a culturally and developmentally tailored, brief intervention consisting of 6 lessons delivered face-to-face and a highly interactive computer game used for skill building purposes (Norris, Delcampo Thalasinos, Miller-Day, Hecht, & Hofler, 2018). Mighty Girls teaches decision making and goal setting, evaluation of risky behavior, peer resistance communication skills, and resistance to descriptive norms.

⁴ A single hierarchical regression analysis was considered as opposed to three separate hierarchical regression analyses. Ultimately, it was decided that separate hierarchical regression analyses provided the clearest representation of the data because of the similarities among the theoretical perspectives employed (e.g., identification, upward social comparison) and the moderate sample size.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the collection of this data was provided by the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies and NINR (R01NR014851; PI, Norris).

Notes on contributors

Nicky Lewis

Nicky Lewis (Ph.D., Indiana University–Bloomington, 2015) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Kentucky. Her research interests include social psychological processes and effects of the mass media.

Anne E. Norris

Anne E. Norris (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1988) is a University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies Emeritus Professor. Her research interests include developmental, cultural, and social psychological influences that contribute to risky safer sex behavior, and how to design interventions that capitalize on the use of those influences to promote safer sex behavior, including delaying initiation of intercourse.

Nicole Martins

Nicole Martins (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 2008) is an associate professor in The Media School at Indiana University. Her research interests include the social and psychological effects of the media on youth.