risk factors: peers

Question 1

AO1: peers

Answer 1

peers definition
peer pressure
social identity theory
social networks
indirect peer influence

Question 2

peers definition

Answer 2

refers to individuals of the same age who possess common values and standards of behaviour.

Question 3

Peer pressure

Answer 3

=the direct or indirect encouragement from one’s own age group to engage
in activities that we may or may not wish to engage in

Peers exert their influence by introducing individuals to these risky behaviours or pressuring
them to take part and to continue to do so.

Question 4

Social identity theory

Answer 4

Explains why individuals are likely to be
influenced by peer pressure - the theory suggests that a significant part of an individual’s self-concept is formed as a result of the groups of which they are a part (the ‘ingroups’). As it is essential to be associated with the ingroup in order to be socially accepted, this makes individuals more likely to adopt their behaviours.

Question 5

Social networks

Answer 5

social networks often comprise of individuals
with similar habits. Individual substance use may develop because of the prevalence of
substance use within a particular network.

By modelling behaviours such as alcohol use, members of social networks represent such
behaviours as a positive and socially acceptable experience

Question 6

examples of social networks

Answer 6

Among adolescents, smokers tended to befriend smokers and non-smokers befriend other
non-smokers

Question 7

Indirect peer influence

Answer 7

Positive parenting may discourage substance abuse in adolescents, which can then lead to reduced substance abuse in their friends.

Skakya et al. claim that an adult who uses positive parenting behaviours with their own adolescent child may also act as an effective mentor for their child’s friends. Because the parents of friends are not a part of that individual’s adolescent-parent conflict, these
adolescents may feel freer to express concerns they may not be able to express with their own parents, and may be more open to influence from their friends’ parents as a result.

Question 8

AO3: peers

Answer 8

str: social media research
lim: influence overstated

Question 9

str: social media research

Answer 9

Research on social media supports the claim that peer influences are an
important influence on addictive behaviour

Moreno et al. (2010) studied the MySpace profiles of 400 17-20 year olds and found that 56% of these profiles contained references to alcohol.

Litt & Stock (2011) found that teenagers who viewed peers’ Facebook profiles that portrayed alcohol use reported a greater willingness to use alcohol, more positive feelings towards it and lower perceptions of its negative consequences.

=suggests that exposure to
social media alters adolescents’ normative perceptions and other alcohol-related risk cognitions, supporting that peers do play a role in
substance use.

Question 10

lim: influence overstated

Answer 10

De Vries et al: found that parental smoking behaviour was a
stronger predictor of smoking adoption than peer influence. This challenges the
claim that peer influence is an important part of this process.

This suggests that similarity in smoking behaviour among adolescents is more likely to be a consequence of friendship selection (e.g. smokers befriending other smokers rather than smokers
influencing non-smokers to take up the habit)

=thus questioning the significance of peer influence on
smoking.