Effects of appearance-related testing on ethnically diverse adolescent girls

The primary research question in this study was whether adolescents' experiences of and responses to teasing were related to the content of a tease and to particular ethnicity. Caucasian (n = 27) and African American adolescents (n = 22) between 12 to 17 years of age were asked to write about an experience of being teased regarding an aspect of appearance. Content analysis was used to examine responses. Participants' narrative revealed teasing about multiple aspects of their appearance including clothing, facial characteristics, weight, height, hair, and other physical characteristics. All participants voiced negative opinions about being teased. However, African Americans noted that some experiences with teasing were positive. Participants reported that they attempted to modify their appearance after being teased, especially about clothing.