Types of Peer Pressure: Understanding and Navigating Influence from Others by Chloe White Nov, 2024

She is a trauma-informed clinician who prioritizes the relationship between clinician and client. Addiction impacted her own family and influenced her compassionate and empathetic relationship with clients. She believes in healing the whole person in a safe and supportive environment. Jill enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, friends, and pets when she is not in the office. She spends most weekends in the mountains hiking, fishing, 4-wheeling, and camping. Jill is an avid photographer and particularly enjoys Colorado sunsets.

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Adolescents who have larger circles of friends appear to be less influenced by the suggestions or actions of their peers, but the pressure to conform is very real at this age. Peer pressure is a direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups with similar interests and experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person’s beliefs, values, religion and behavior. A group or individual may be encouraged and want to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual. For the individual affected by peer pressure, this can have both a positive or negative effect on them.

The Psychology Behind the Pressure: Mechanisms at Play

Self-regulation involves the ability to control thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to manage current behavior and achieve long-term goals. Lastly, we have self-categorization theory, which builds on social identity theory. This theory suggests that we categorize ourselves at different levels of abstraction (individual, group member, human being) depending on the context. When we categorize ourselves as group members, we’re more likely to conform to group norms and be susceptible to peer pressure. Examples of these kinds of behavior would be when a teenager hands another teen an alcoholic drink, or makes a sexual advance, or looks at another student’s paper during a test. The other teen is put in a position of having to make an on-the-spot decision.

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This can include what is alcoholism dressing in a certain style or speaking a certain way. This can pressure young individuals to change different aspects of their identity to conform to what everybody else is doing. Can we harness the power of positive peer pressure to address societal issues?

They are also typically striving what is indirect peer pressure for social acceptance and are more willing to engage in behaviors against their better judgment to be accepted. You can also positively peer pressure others by the way you respond to situations. For instance, if your friend is body-shaming another person, you can say, “Actually, it can be really harmful to criticize people’s bodies like that.” One of the most important factors in preventing situations where peer pressure might grow is to promote a culture of diversity and inclusivity.

This is when we look to others for guidance on how to behave, especially in ambiguous situations. If you’ve ever been to a fancy dinner and weren’t sure which fork to use, so you watched what others did, you’ve experienced informational social influence. Specializing in diverse mental health https://ecosoberhouse.com/ challenges, including depression, addiction, and trauma, Christy embraces a person-centered approach. She tailors interventions to individual needs, drawing from modalities like mindfulness, DBT, CBT, and EMDR.

• For instance, a teen may know it’s wrong to drink alcohol while underage, but they may do it anyway because they want to be accepted by the group.
• Teens see the actions of other teens with stronger personalities and are put in a position of following the leader or walking away.
• She holds a master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy.
• It’s not uncommon for teens with strong morals to find themselves engaging in behavior that goes against their beliefs, simply because they want acceptance.
• Danny has extensive experience in effectively treating incidental and complex trauma.

Spoken peer pressure is when a teenager asks, suggests, persuades or otherwise directs another to engage in a specific behavior. If this is done in a one-on-one environment, the recipient of the influence has a stronger chance of adhering to his or her core values and beliefs. If, however, the spoken influence takes place within a group, the pressure to go along with the group is immense.

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A Denver native and lifelong Colorado resident, Megan embarked on her academic journey at the University of Northern Colorado. There, she earned dual bachelor’s degrees before pursuing a master’s degree in psychology. During her academic years, she dedicated herself to assisting refugees fleeing war and violence in their home countries. It’s not uncommon for a group of friends to have particular habits or activities that they do together. But when you’re with a different group of friends, it might be unlikely that you do those same things. Positive Peer Pressure —being influenced to make choices that better yourself.

• According to child and adolescent psychiatrist Akeem Marsh, MD, “it’s very easy to be influenced by peer pressure as we humans are wired as social creatures.”
• Outside of work, Christy finds solace in nature, enjoying activities like gardening and mountain biking, alongside cherished moments with her family and dogs.
• How do cultural differences affect susceptibility to peer pressure?
• If she weren’t excelling in her current role, Christy would likely champion environmental activism, advocating for nature’s preservation.

The primary issue revolves around collective responsibility and beliefs. As such, there are two positions, most notably held by Christopher Browning and David Goldhagen. If they pressure you to do shots with them at the bar when you aren’t drinking, for example, you might suggest that you both hit the dance floor instead.