2022 Undergraduate Research Symposium: Dylan Wollschlager, Edlira Sako, Paris Simpson, Fatima Naeem, Dina Abbas Graduate co-authors: Alana Keller, Bridget Murphy, Mareena Atalla Role models include the person(s) one looks up to or wants to be like. Prior research is focused on role models' impact on children's health behaviors such as diet and exercise. Evidence suggests that children with a healthy role model tend to be healthier themselves. (Coto et al. 2019) There is little inquiry into how role models influence children’s psychological health (e.g., general emotional wellbeing, prosocial behavior), furthermore, there is no research looking at how the accessibility (e.g., family member v. celebrity) of role models impacts psychological health. The purpose of this study was to explore the statistical relationship between the accessibility of role models and children’s well-being and prosocial behavior. The sample includes 51 school-aged children (40 % girls) (M = 12.08 years, SD = 2.14) from the Downtown Boxing Gym afterschool program in Detroit. Data was collected as part of a needs assessment, using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) along with measures designed by the family and child study group. The results of an independent-samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference in emotion measure scores between the accessible (M = 8.87, SD = 3.01) and inaccessible groups (M = 8.83, SD = 2.37), t(52) = .053, p = .96. The results of an independent-samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference in prosocial behavior scores between the accessible group (M = 15.23, SD = 2.36) and the inaccessible group (M = 14.57, SD = 1.88), t(52) = 1.114, p = .27.

1. Discussion and Future Directions
RESULTS
FIGURES
INTRODUCTION
Who is Your Role Model?
Dylan Wollschlager, Edlira Sako, Alana Keller, Bridget Murphy, Paris Simpson, Mareena Atalla, Fatima Naeem, Dina Abbas, & Douglas Barnett
Department of Psychology of Wayne State University
METHODS
•Role models can be described as someone that one looks up to or wants to be like. We wanted to
understand whether and who local youth would be able to identify as role models.
•Research suggests that children with role models known to engage in healthier behavior such as
eating right and exercising tend to behave in healthier manner themselves (Coto et al., 2019)
•There is little research examining the potential influence of role models on children’s behavioral
health including mood, prosocial skills, self-control, and attitudes about school and ethnic
identity.
•Our study examined who local youth chose as their role models and whether the accessibility of
a youths’ role models was associated with youth behavioral health. It was hypothesized that
children with an accessible role model would have better emotional health and more prosocial
behavior.
Who were their role models?
Participants
•Given the exploratory nature of this investigation, the hypotheses were examined using a
convenience sample of youth who were participating in an intervention.
• 53 African American children, 8 to 16 years old (M = 12.08 years, SD = 2.14) completed a
brief online survey designed as part of a needs assessment conducted by the Wayne State
University Psychology Clinic at the request of The Downtown Boxing Gym local afterschool
program. 40% of the children were girls, and one child preferred not to specify their gender.
Measures
• Role models: The children were asked: “Who is somebody you admire and want to be like?
This could be a favorite celebrity, athlete, or someone you know. What do you admire about
them?”
•Behavioral Health: Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), (Goodman, 1997) Along
with measures created by the children and family lab of Wayne State. The survey asked
questions used to assess different psychological dimensions, including general emotional health,
resiliency, and prosocial behavior.
•Attitudes: School and Ethnicity: We asked the children to rate on a 3-point Likert scale; how
important doing well in school was to them, along with how interested they are in learning more
about their ethnic identity/background.
After the survey was completed, the data was deidentified and analyzed in SPSS software. Based
on their survey answers, the children were divided into two role model groups for analyses:
assessable (meaning someone they have access to, like a parent or teacher) and inaccessible
(meaning someone the child has no meaningful access to, such as a celebrity). The coding of the
groups was done by the first two authors of the poster with 100% interrater agreement. We used
independent-sample t-tests to analyze the data.
Descriptive: There were 53 participants total, 57% reported having an accessible role model (N =
30) and 43% reported having an inaccessible role model (N = 23).
Gender differences: Accessible (N= 14) and inaccessible (N= 14) role models were evenly
distributed amongst boys. There were more girls with an accessible role model (N = 15) than an
inaccessible role model (N = 9). The one participant who preferred not to specify their gender had
an accessible role model (N = 1).
Age differences: Children in the 8–10 year age range reported having an accessible role model
(N= 16) more than an inaccessible role model (N= 3). Children in the 11-13 year age range
reported more inaccessible role models (N = 15) than accessible role models (N = 8). Children in
the 14-16 age range reported having a similar rate of accessible role models (N = 6) and
inaccessible role models (N = 5).
T-Tests:
Emotions Scale: The results of an independent-samples t-test showed that there was no
significant difference in emotion measure scores between the accessible (M = 8.87, SD = 3.01)
and inaccessible groups (M = 8.83, SD = 2.37), t(52) = .053, p = .96.
Prosocial Behavior Scale: The results of an independent-samples t-test showed that there was no
significant difference in prosocial behavior scores between the accessible group (M = 15.23, SD =
2.36) and the inaccessible group (M = 14.57, SD = 1.88), t(52) = 1.114, p = .27.
Doing well in school/Interest in Ethnic Identity: For two measures, one relating to school
motivation and the other about interest in learning more about their ethnic background, significant
effects were found. The results of an independent-samples t-test found that children with an
accessible role model (M= 2.59, SD = 1.05) were more likely to want to do well in school than the
children with an inaccessible role model (M = 1.96, SD = .93), t(52) = 2.25, p = .03. The results of
an independent-samples t-test found that children with an accessible role model (M = 2.41, SD=
1.27) were more interested in learning about their ethnic background than children with an
inaccessible role model (M = 1.87, SD = .87), t(52) = 1.755, p = .43.
In the accessible group:
20.00% said they were their own role model
6.67% said a friend
50.00% said a parent
16.67% said a family member other than their
parents
6.67% said a teacher or coach
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Male Female Didn't Say
Role Model Group by Gender
Accessible Role Model Non-Accessible Role Model
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
8-10 Years 11-13 Years 14-16 Years
Role Model Group by Age Range
Accessible Role Model Non-Accessible Role Model
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
8-10 Years 11-13 Years 14-16 Years 8-10 Years 11-13 Years 14-16 Years 14-16 Years
Male Female Didn't Say
Role Model Groups by Gender & Age
Accessible Role Model Non-Accessible Role Model
In the inaccessible group:
30.43% said an athlete
34.78% said a singer
8.67% said an actor
4.35% said a billionaire
8.67% said a comedian
13.04% said none
• There were no differences in prosocial behavior or emotion scale scores between groups. Further
research is recommended due to the small sample size, abnormal distribution, and lack of prior
inquiry. Furthermore, the survey used to collect this data did not ask for follow up information
about the child’s role model, such as how often they see them. Due to this, accessibility cannot be
guaranteed. Future research with more measures pertaining to role models is recommended.
• Youth in this sample with an accessible role model are more concerned with doing well in school
and learning about their ethnic identity than the children with an inaccessible role model.
However, due to only using one measure for both ethnicity and school motivation, further
research with additional measures is needed to make any general conclusions.
*References available upon request