Adolescents’ Character Role Models: Exploring Who Young People Look Up to as Examples of How to Be a Good Person

Abstract

Research has explored young people’s role models in general, but little is known about role models whom youth look up to in relation to their character. The authors asked 220 adolescents (M age = 13.4, 45% White, 15% Hispanic, 11% Black) from Massachusetts and Connecticut to nominate a character role model, someone they knew personally and looked up to as an example of how to be a good person; 142 (64.5%) listed a character role model, with family members nominated most frequently, followed by friends and other adults (e.g., teachers). Youth cited how their character role model treated them as well as other people as reasons for selecting their character role models. Participants also rated the quality of the relationship, role-modeling behaviors, and socialization practices. There were similar positive characteristics associated with the three character role model types, but there were also differences (e.g., family character role models were rated most positively on relationship quality as well as role-modeling behaviors, whereas friend character role models rarely provided character socialization). Findings suggested that youth understand the relational nature of character and also point to the potentially powerful role of character role models in promoting character development.