How peers perceive the female adolescent smoker

Data were collected on peers' perceptions of two fictional 17-year-old females; one a smoker and the other a nonsmoker. A sample of 212 high school seniors completed a form of the personality profile questionnaire which contained a biographical sketch of either Laurie the smoker or Laurie the nonsmoker. Subjects rated the fictional characters on 30 personality traits. Findings suggested that peers perceived the personality traits of the female adolescent smoker more negatively than the nonsmoking counterpart. Recommendations are made for the application of the findings to adolescent smoking prevention and cessation programs.