Like Ability: The Truth About Popularity

by Lori Getz MA, Mitch Prinstein PhD

Overview

This is a must-have volume for all teens who want to demystify what popularity really is.

“A reader-friendly guide to breaking down the components of popularity and likability and helping readers achieve their goals…. Concise, accessible chapters unpack the phenomenon of popularity and offer exercises and worksheets that lead readers to a greater understanding of their values... Helpful advice and insightful prompts shape a path to self-improvement.”"—Kirkus Reviews

This book is NOT about knocking down those who are popular, or an attempt to convince teens that popularity is a bad thing. In fact, research points to the exact opposite: likeability is important!. It is not elusive or granted only to a select few. Anyone can become their own kind of popular with a little bit of insight and a whole lot of reflection. The goal: encourage and promote self-awareness and help readers develop their own individual recipe for the right kind of popular.

In four sections, with lively chapters and insightful activities, teens will explore popularity, likeability, status, power, self-esteem, relationships, influencers, and much more. The expert authors reach readers with a voice that rings true, by using science and stories to explain concepts, and connecting teens to real world examples and even celebrities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433833632
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,133,903
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1060L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lori Getz, MA, is the founder of Cyber Education Consultants and educates students, parents, and teachers about Internet safety, security, and ethics. She is the author of The Tech Savvy User's Guide to the Digital World. 

Visit her website lorigetz.com and follow her @LoriGetz on Twitter.

Mitch Prinstein, PhD, is chief science officer of the American Psychological Association and the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his research have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Time magazine, New York magazine, Newsweek, Reuters, Family Circle, Real Simple, and elsewhere. He is the author of Popular: Finding Happiness and Success in a World That Cares Too Much About the Wrong Kinds of Relationships.

Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Section 1 Popularity: What Is It?

Chapter 1 Defining Popularity 3

Chapter 2 What Is Likability? 9

Chapter 3 What Is Status? 29

Section 2 Why Do We Want It?

Chapter 4 The Science Behind Popularity 43

Chapter 5 Status Within Status 55

Section 3 How Did THEY Get It?

Chapter 6 How Celebrities Find Popularity 65

Chapter 7 The Role of Influencers 73

Chapter 8 Power and Status 87

Section 4 Why Is It So Complicated?

Chapter 9 Cue Interpretation 105

Chapter 10 Self-Esteem vs. Peer-Esteem 117

Chapter 11 Complicated Relationships 131

Section 5 How Do We Get It?

Chapter 12 How to Be Likable 147

Chapter 13 Emotional Intelligence 157

Chapter 14 Avoiding Temptation to Seek Status 165

Chapter 15 Making a Plan 175

Chapter 16 Managing Expectations 183

Conclusion 193

Glossary 195

About the Authors 198

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2022

Gr 7–9—This work combines real life situations, self-reflective exercises, and practical wisdom about a subject many teens have on their minds: popularity. The authors recognize the importance to teens of being popular, but split the concept further into subcategories of status and likability, which serve as two separate branches on the tree of popularity. This reminds readers that status and likability are not the same yet can be intertwined. Complicated relationships and social media influences are key components that are included in the book. The book gives practical solutions without sounding clichéd, such as avoiding the temptation to seek status. This is a refreshing take on a timeless subject. Most teens will be encouraged and reassured by the discussions of likability versus status. Graphic organizers allow readers to think through or note important points. This title could be used by an individual teen or as part of group work dealing with social and emotional learning. VERDICT An important addition to a middle school library or public library YA collection.—April Crowder

School Library Journal

2022-03-16
A reader-friendly guide to breaking down the components of popularity and likability and helping readers achieve their goals.

The authors, an educator and a psychology professor, present both a step-by-step analysis and a self-help workbook in one. In their glossary, they define likability as being a subset of popularity in which a person is genuinely accepted based on true connections, while popularity can also indicate social status. Concise, accessible chapters unpack the phenomenon of popularity and offer exercises and worksheets that lead readers to a greater understanding of their values. Each chapter ends with a handful of bullet points that provide helpful takeaways. The first two sections establish an individual framework, with questions that prompt readers to consider and reflect on what popularity means to them, what characteristics they like in others, how they believe they are perceived by others, ways they have made others feel good, and so on. The nuances of status versus likability are unpacked. These prompts, along with some short quizzes, help put readers on the path to their own version of likability. The middle of the book unpacks concepts like the subtle difference between self-worth and self-esteem, the ways that influencers and celebrities gain status and popularity, and the impact of various relationships on your feelings. The final section, consisting of five short chapters, amounts to an action plan with probing questions and charts that help track readers’ progress on their journeys.

Helpful advice and insightful prompts shape a path to self-improvement. (Nonfiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews