Think you haven't changed much since high school?
Perhaps you haven't. Inspired by the film "The Breakfast Club," University of Arizona psychologists analyzed the peer groups of 900 high school sophomores, asking them to identify themselves with one of the characters in the film. Researchers found high school social groupings lingered long into adulthood. In 10th grade, 40 percent identified themselves as 'princesses', 28 percent as 'jocks', 12 percent as 'brains', 11 percent as 'basket cases' and 9 percent as 'criminals'. Researchers found that by age 24, the students' chosen stereotypes were good indicators for patterns of substance abuse and mental health. 'Basket cases', 'princesses' and 'criminals' were the most likely to have seen a therapist, while 'jocks' were the least likely. 'Brains' were the most likely to graduate college and the least likely to attempt suicide. The study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Research.
