Conformity as a Function of Age Level

Peer Relationships in Adolescence

“…Like their predecessors from decades ago (Costanzo & Shaw, 1966 ;Sheriff, 1961 ), these studies provide important insights into the processes that underlie peer group influences. Curiously, however, each study probes a different mechanism of peer influence.…”

Age trends and suggestibility : the effects of social influence

“…The present study found that suggestibility (or lack thereof) to non-credible sources (i.e., peers) was consistent across all ages. Current findings also do not fit with existing research on adolescents, suggesting particular vulnerabilities to social influence provided by peers (Costanzo & Shaw, 1966;Berndt, 1979). What the current data do suggest is that the relationship between age and susceptibility to misinformation is a more complex one, requiring the consideration of the outside information's source, accuracy of the information provided, as well as the age of the child witness.…”

“…So, the peer-parent conformity relationship appears to vary as a function of the situational context in which the child or adolescent seeks guidance. Various studies have even found a developmentally-related peak (e.g., Costanzo & Shaw, 1966;Berndt, 1979), with conformity to peers reaching its height around early/middle adolescence (between 11 and 14 years of age) and declining steadily afterward; this pattern of conformity is particularly fitting for peer pressure to perform anti-social behaviors compared to prosocial behaviors (Larson & Richards, 1991;Jacobs, Vernon, & Eccles, 2004;Steinberg & Monahan, 2007). Brown, Clasen, and Eicher (1986) found that in comparison to younger teenagers, older ones perceived more social pressure from peers to conform and reported more involvement in behavioral misconduct.…”

Leaders and followers in adolescent close friendships: Susceptibility to peer influence as a predictor of risky behavior, friendship instability, and depression

“…Rather than a sense of relatedness or connection to others being in opposition to autonomy development, it may be a precondition for it. Similarly, a long line of research suggests that when one's social status and relationships are uncertain, there is a far greater likelihood of seeking validation from others even at the cost of one's own autonomy, in an effort to maintain or bolster one's social status and relationships (Costanzo & Shaw, 1966;Goethals & Darley, 1977;Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986). This leads to the hypothesis that adolescents who had the least strong and least stable peer relationships would be most likely to display difficulty maintaining their autonomy in discussions with peers.…”