The Psychology of Popularity, featuring Dr. Lara Mayeux

Whether you were one of the "cool kids" or not, you won't want to miss the upcoming Science Cafe. On July 7, Dr. Lara Mayeux will be presenting a body of her work related to teenagers and popularity. Her talk, titled "Popularity in the Peer System: Is Being Popular a Risky Proposition?", will address the effects on different age groups of being popular, including the struggle to maintain popularity. Dr. Mayeux's findings are a fascinating commentary on how human beings treat each other, and are chronicled in several scholarly papers. She co-edited a recent volume entitled Popularity in the Peer System for Guilford Press on this issue, and is an expert in social development in childhood and adolescence. Her research focuses on peer relationships, peer status (popularity, likeability, and rejection), physical and relational aggression, and gender differences and similarities in how kids and teens use aggressive behaviors. The evening promises to be packed with valuable insights for parents and teachers, and for anyone curious about human behavior in general.