Motor Performance, Size and the Dyadic System

Abstract

60 pairs of adolescents ( N = 120) were drawn from three academic status groups ( N = 176); 30 pairs on the basis of mutual attraction (‘friends’) and 30 pairs on the basis of mutual dislike or dislike/indifference (‘non-friends’). The mean differences in ‘friends’ scores on the motor performance and size variables were compared with the mean differences for ‘non-friends’ by analysis of variance. Although a consistent trend of greater similarity on the physical measures was observed for ‘friends’ as compared with ‘non-friends,’ the only significant result was for a variable representing dynamic strength. The influence of academic status on this significant result is pointed out.