Peer Pressure

Mikaela Macdissi
SED 464 T/TH @ 12:00
What is Peer Pressure?
Pressure to think, feel, or
behave in ways that align w/
peer-established norms
Group dynamic
“When people your own age
encourage or urge you to do
something or to keep from
doing something else, no
matter if you personally want
to or not” (Banachowski,
1997)
How Is It Experienced?
 Positive Peer Pressure

Sense of Increased
belonging/support self-confidence

Reinforcement of
Intro to positive
positive
hobbies/interests
habits/attitudes

(“Peer Pressure and Teenagers,” 2020)

 Negative Peer Pressure

Pressure to use Pressure to engage

Distance betw. Changes in
alcohol, cigarettes, in risk-taking
family & friends behaviors/attitudes
or drugs behaviors

(“Peer Pressure and Teenagers,” 2020)

 How Often is
Peer Pressure
Reported?
Experimental study w/ computer
game

(Brains on Trial, 2013)

 How Often Is Peer Pressure Reported?
(Cont.)
◈ Results:
Adolescents (13-16) & young adults
(18-22) took more risks
Peer presence increased risk-taking
behaviors in younger groups
Hardly no e ect on adults (24+)

(Gardner & Steinberg, 2005)

How Often is
Peer Pressure
Reported?
(Cont.)

(Woodke, 2018)
 What Contexts Are
Adolescents
Pressured?

Spoken

Spoken Unspoken
Direct

Unspoken

Indirect

Direct Indirect
(“What Are the 6 Types of Peer Pressure?,” n.d.)
 Impact on Adolescents’ Emotional/Social
Development
“Emotional autonomy” Changes in social parts of
from parents brain
• Dependence shifts • More self-conscious
• Social
acceptance/rejection
• Reward-processing vs
cognitive control

(“Social Development,”, n.d.; Steinberg,

2015; Steinberg & Monahan, 2009)
 Impact on Adolescents’
Emotional/Social Development
(Cont.)

◈ Search for identity

Exploration
Completion= greater resistance to peer
pressure

(“Social Development,” n.d.;

Steinberg & Monahan, 2009)
 How Can Teachers Help?

1 2 3 4
Incorporate Build Develop Create safe,
positive peer communication self-care/ positive class
pressure skills in self-regulation environment
students skills

(“Peer Pressure,” 2020)

Recommendations/
Resources
◈ Understanding adolescent development:
Laurence Steinberg’s, Ph.D., book Age of Opportunity:
Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence (ISBN:
978-0-544-57029-0)
◈ Teacher guides by KidsHealth in the Classroom:
Peer Pressure grades 6-8:
https://classroom.kidshealth.org/classroom/6to8/person
al/growing/peer_pressure.pdf
Peer Pressure grades 9-12:
https://classroom.kidshealth.org/classroom/9to12/perso
nal/growing/peer_pressure.pdf
Recommendations/
Resources (Cont.)
◈ Peer pressure tips/activities & resources for students
+ parents by Reach Out:
https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/peer-p
ressure
◈ Scholarly journal about prosocial class & building
teachers’ social/emotional competence (SEC):
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0
034654308325693
Questions?
 References
Banachowski-Fuller, C. A. (1997). Peer in uences, parental bonds, school bonds, and perceived peer pressure to
commit delinquent behavior. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social
Sciences, 58(6), 1-120.
Brains on trial. (2013, September 25). Peer in uence and adolescent behavior [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt9MyNo65eI&t=135s
Gardner, M., & Steinberg, L. (2005). Peer In uence on Risk Taking, Risk Preference, and Risky Decision
Making in Adolescence and Adulthood: An Experimental Study. Developmental Psychology, 41(4),
625-635. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1037/0012-1649.41.4.625
Peer Pressure and teenagers. (2020). Reach Out.
https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/peer-pressure-and-teenagers
Peer Pressure. (2020). Reach Out. https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/peer-pressure
 References
Steinberg, L., & Monahan, K. (2009). Age Di erences in Resistance to Peer In uence. Dev Psychol.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1037%2F0012-1649.43.6.1531
Steinberg, L. (2015). Age of opportunity: Lessons from the new science of adolescence. Mariner.
Social Development. (n.d.) Lumen Learning .
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-hostos-childdevelopment/chapter/social-development/
What are the 6 types of peer pressure. (2019, November 26). Talk It Out.
https://www.talkitoutnc.org/peer-pressure/types-of-peer-pressure/
Woodke, S. (2018, May 8). SUA Statistics on peer pressure.
https://www.suathelight.com/post/2018/05/07/sua-statistics-on-peer-pressure