Factors affecting conformity- Group influence to change behaviour

Peer Pressure Peer pressure is most commonly applied to adolescents and describes the actual or implied pressure exerted by friends or others around you to behave in a certain way. An example of peer pressure would be wagging school because your friends are doing it. They may directly hassle you to come along, or pressure may be more subtle, such as simply assuming you will join in. Influences conformity; that is, if you succumb to peer pressure you are conforming to group norms. May influence someone to do things that they would never have done on their own, so it is also linked to the concept of deindividuation.

Peer Pressure You may have experienced being in a group in which you were rewarded with acceptance and approval for going along with the group, or threatened with ridicule or rejection if you did not go along. These reactions are called group sanctions, which are rewards and punishments administered by the group to encourage its members to act in a uniform manner. Negative sanctions range from laughter, staring or social disapproval to complete rejection or formal ostracism.

Peer Pressure If you have ever felt the sudden chill of disapproval from others because you did not want to behave the way they were behaving, you will understand the power of group sanctions. Treatment such as this helps to explain why we may try to avoid the disapproval of groups and why we are concerned about whether our views are accepted (Alicke & Doherty, 1992).

Peer Pressure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6K0F0gLcX0 Discussion Points: What were some of the issues that were being shown throughout the clip? Why do you think peer pressure is seen more during the youth lifespan stage than any other? How can it be that sometimes the hardest word to say to your peers is “no”?

Risk Taking Behaviour Although peer pressure can be positive – for example, your friends all complete their homework, influencing you to complete yours – it is usually associated with more negative risk taking behaviour. Risk taking often occurs during adolescence because that is a time when young people are testing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and moving between childhood and adulthood. The kinds of risks that young people may take include wagging school, stealing or binge drinking. Many adolescents would not take these risks if they were on their own, but peer pressure can lead them to behave differently. A person who goes along with their friends and wags school is responding to peer pressure and, therefore, conforming to group norms.

Activities to complete Define peer pressure Define risk taking How can conformity influence peer pressure? In your own opinion why is the youth stage of development likely to engage in risk taking behaviour? Activity Manual Tasks: 6.5