The Golden Section Hypothesis From a Developmental Perspective

In previous experiments adult subjects have shown a tendency to use the positive poles of bipolar dimensions such as happy-sad to categorize persons approximately 62% of the time, which supports Benjafield and Adams-Webber's (1976) “golden section hypothesis”. In this study, their hypothesis was tested further in terms of the social judgments of children. A repertory grid was administered to 126 subjects: 15 girls, 15 boys aged ten and 15 girls, 15 boys aged fifteen in Trinidad; and 16 girls, 15 boys aged ten and 18 girls, 17 boys aged fourteen in Canada. In both countries, ten-year-old children assigned significantly more persons to the positive poles of dimensions than did mid-adolescents. The latter applied the positive poles of dimensions to persons approximately 62% of the time. These results, which are consistent with related findings, are discussed in terms of their developmental implications.