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Mechanisms of Peer Influence: Leveraging Our Knowledge of Adolescent Socialization Processes to Promote Effective Deve

Mechanisms of Peer Influence: Leveraging Our Knowledge of Adolescent Socialization Processes to Promote Effective Development. Mitch Prinstein, Ph.D. , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Youth-NEX Conference, University of Virginia. What behaviors are influenced by peers?.

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Mechanisms of Peer Influence: Leveraging Our Knowledge of Adolescent Socialization Processes to Promote Effective Deve

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  1. Mechanisms of Peer Influence: Leveraging Our Knowledge of Adolescent Socialization Processes to Promote Effective Development Mitch Prinstein, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel HillYouth-NEX Conference, University of Virginia

  2. What behaviors are influenced by peers? Substantial Empirical Support • Externalizing Symptoms • Illegal/violent behavior • Aggression • Substance Use • Alcohol, nicotine use • Marijuana use • “Hard” drugs • Sexual risk behaviors • Internalizing Symptoms • Depressive symptoms • Suicidality • Other Health Risk Behaviors • Weight-related behaviors • Nonsuicidal self injury • Prosocial and Health-Promotion Behaviors Emerging Empirical Support New Area for Research

  3. Why are youths’ and peers’ behaviors similar? Homophily SelectionEffects SocializationEffects Youths’Attitudes and Behaviors Peers’Attitudes and Behaviors

  4. Avenues to Use Peer Influence for Good, Not Evil • Who are the sources of peer influence? • How does peer influence work?

  5. Who are the sources of peer influence? Amenable to Change? Not Likely! • Very best friends • Friendship Groups (Cliques) • Romantic Partners • Popular youth • Members of Similar Peer Crowds • Aggregated Peers (e.g., within group therapy, classroom placements, prison inmates) • “Peers” depicted in media Perhaps? • Negotiating converging/diverging messages from various sources of influence

  6. How does peer influence work? • Overt/Explicit Peer Pressure • Social Mimicry/Response Evocation • Deviancy Training • Social Norms/Identity Enhancement Theories

  7. How does peer influence work? • Overt/Explicit Peer Pressure • Social Mimicry/Response Evocation • Deviancy Training • Social Norms/Identity Enhancement Theories

  8. Identity-Based Theories Youths’ Perceptions of their Peers’Attitudes and Behaviors Peers’Attitudes and Behaviors Youths’Attitudes and Behaviors Intervention Target

  9. Biased Perceptions of Peers’ Attitudes and Behaviors • Erroneous estimations of social norms (descriptive norms) • Aggressive-rejected youth • Prior engagement in the health risk behavior (i.e., false consensus effects) • Social norms interventions

  10. Biased Perceptions of Peers’ Attitudes and Behaviors • Erroneous estimations of social norms (descriptive norms) • Aggressive-rejected youth • Prior engagement in the health risk behavior (i.e., false consensus effects) • Social norms interventions • Erroneous estimations of social norms (injunctive norms) • Pluralistic ignorance • Attitudinal interventions

  11. Adolescents’ Perceptions of “Typical” Peer Crowd Members’ Behavior • Out-group perceived norms (e.g., Non-Populars’ perceptions of Populars) • In-group perceived norms (e.g., Populars’ perceptions of Populars) • Actual behaviors (e.g., Populars’ report of their own actual behavior)

  12. Sexual Intercourse

  13. Sexual Intercourse

  14. Sexual Intercourse

  15. Cigarette Use

  16. Exercise

  17. Studying Likert scale

  18. How does peer influence work? • Overt/Explicit Peer Pressure • Social mimicry/response evocation • Deviancy Training • Social Norms/Identity Enhancement Theories • Anti-conformity!

  19. Person 1 Person 2 Person 3 You Best Friends Joe A. Bonnie L. Hobbies: Going to parties Hanging with friends Best Friends: Scott G. Brad B. Hobbies: Playing/watching sports Going to parties Best Friends: Patrick T. Robert P. Hobbies: Hanging with friends Playing/watching sports Best Friends: Hobbies: A B A *(DV) Question #16. You are at a concert with your friend and your friend’s older brother. The brother offers you a marijuana cigarette. Do you: a. Smoke the ‘joint’ b. Take one drag of the ‘joint’ and then no more c. Tell him you don’t feel doing that today d. Say “No thanks” e. Say, “I don’t smoke pot” f. Tell the brother, “You know you really shouldn’t smoke that stuff”

  20. Participants’ PopularityModerates Conformity Effect Prosocial Deviant

  21. Participants’ PopularityModerates Conformity Effect Prosocial Deviant

  22. Conclusion • More research on prosocial influences • Manage messaging that informs social norms re/adaptive behavior • Further study of anti-conformity

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