I am - Short Stuff

Girls' Life, Feb-March, 2002

How would you complete a sentence starting with "I am..." after, say, watching a tiny gymnast nail her floor routine? Now, finish the statement after cheering on Olympics hockey player Cammi Granato. Researchers at University of Michigan showed 123 girls, ages 10 to 17, videos of sports events with young female athletes.

Then the subjects were asked to come up with statements about themselves beginning with the words "I am." When white girls were shown images of slim athletes, like figure skaters, they responded with statements like, "I am tall," or, "I am fat." When the same girls were shown muscular women, they were more likely to comment on personality traits: "I am smart," or, "I am tired." African-American girls did exactly the opposite--they made more statements about their bodies when shown strong girls and not when watching lean athletes. The researchers say differing reactions have to do with ideal body types within certain cultures. Interesting!