Matthew Schulte

MUSE 293

11 December 2020

Adolescent Research Paper

Adolescence is a very turbulent and difficult time for those going through it. It is both a

time of change and a time of discovery. Young adolescents begin to discover their place in the

world and who they are in relation to it. They also seek to become more independent from their

parents and seek acceptance among their peers. During this time, challenges and behaviors are

brought to the forefront. One of these behaviors includes peer pressure which becomes

prominent due to the increased attention paid to self-image and the opinions of peers. Although

peer pressure existed before in the elementary setting, it plays a much larger role in the middle

school setting due to the changes taking place with adolescence. The job of a middle school

teacher is to help adolescents through this turbulent time. Because of this, teachers must pay

attention to the teaching methods they use with this knowledge in mind. In this paper, I will

discuss how peer pressure can be a problem in school, specifically in a secondary music methods

course, and how knowledge of this affects teaching methods teachers can employ.

Peer pressure in middle school can be both a positive and a negative. One can almost

view it as a double-edged sword as it can affect a classroom setting in both ways. Peer pressure

can affect students’ moods which in turn can affect both in class participation and academics.

According to a study by V. Sangeetha and S. V. Chetan, there is a negative relationship between

happiness and peer pressure among adolescents (104). This unhappiness is mostly likely caused

by a need to be accepted by peers and all the anxiety that comes with it. Of course, this could
have an affect on classroom management, academics, and class participation. Students could

either express this unhappiness in the form of anger and act out in school, or they could express

it in the form of depression and not participate in class discussions. In a study posted in the

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, it was found that peer pressure for fighting showed the most

consistent pattern of relations with adolescents’ problem behavior (Farrell, Mehari, & Thompson

2016). Both can lead to a failure in academics from motivation. One point to note in terms of

peer pressure is that it affects girls much more than it does guys as stated in an article by Klaus

Boehnke (156). This might come from the fact that women on average are more empathetic than

their male counterparts, leading to the feelings of their peers having a larger effect on them. Peer

pressure can also have an effect on class participation. It is easy to find willing participants in a

choir class or a band class, but it is harder to find them in a general music setting where music is

not a large part of their lives. Music making is often seen as embarrassing by adolescent students,

especially among males. There is nothing inherently masculine about singing or playing an

instrument and combining it with the increased focus on self-image and the thoughts of peers

leads to a reluctance to participate fully in class.

With this in mind, teachers can use different teaching methods in secondary general

music education with knowledge of peer pressure. Teachers should create a positive classroom

environment to allow students the confidence to perform and participate in front of peers.

Although I had talked out the negative parts of peer pressure, it is possible to use the positives of

peer pressure to create a positive classroom environment. If a teacher fosters an environment

with positive reinforcement and without fear of experimentation, students would be encouraged

to freely participate in lessons. One way that has been proven to foster positive peer interactions

is the Good Behavior Game. The GBG is a classroom management system that creates student
groups to win games. According to a study by Emily Groves and Jennifer Austin, the GBG not

only reduced disruptive behaviors but also reduced negative peer interactions and promoted

positive peer interactions (2018). Another positive part of peer pressure that can be utilized

through students to encourage other students that are less willing to participate. It has been

proven through a study by Ernesto Estrada and Eusebio Vargas-Estrada that the process of

innovation is only mildly successful and that the indirect peer pressure from others plays a large

role (2013). The diffusion of innovation refers to the process in which new ideas and practices

spread throughout a group of peers. By creating a good environment and encouraging students,

other students who might be having trouble participating in class will be positively pressured into

taking part in class more often.

Adolescence is a time of growth and of discovery. Students during this time seek

companionship and acceptance among their peers to help them along their paths of discovery.

This peer pressure often is seen in a negative light due to the many different outcomes that it can

create. Negative peer pressure can cause disruption in and out of the classroom, depression

affecting class participation, and a reluctance to stand out for fear of embarrassment. However,

teachers must also remember that peer pressure can be used in a positive light to encourage

classroom participation and the growth of the students. Through the use of a positive classroom

environment and teaching techniques such as the Good Behavior Game, teachers can allow

students the chance to experiment without fear of being criticized or ridiculed. Students should

be allowed to discover themselves and learn skills for the future, and most of the time this can be

helped by having positive peer pressure.

 Reference List

Boehnke, K. “Peer pressure: a cause of scholastic underachievement? A cross-cultural study of

mathematical achievement among German, Canadian, and Israeli middle school

students.” Sociology Psychology Education, vol. 11, 2008, pp. 149–160, https://doi-

org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1007/s11218-007-9041-z, Accessed December 11 2020.

Estrada, Ernesto and Vargas-Estrada, Eusebio. “How Peer Pressure Shapes Consensus,

Leadership and Innovations in Social Groups.” Scientific Reports, vol. 3, no. 2905, 2013,

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep02905, Accessed December 11 2020.

Farrell, A.D., Thompson, E.L., & Mehari, K.R. “Dimensions of Peer Influences and Their

Relationship to Adolescents’ Aggression, Other Problem Behaviors and Prosocial

Behavior.” J Youth Adolescence, vol. 46, 2017, pp. 1351–1369, https://doi-

org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1007/s10964-016-0601-4, Accessed December 11 2020.

Groves, E. A. and Austin, J. L. “Does the Good Behavior Game evoke negative peer pressure?

Analyses in primary and secondary classrooms.” Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis,

vol. 52, no. 3-16, 2019, https://doi-org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1002/jaba.513, Accessed

December 11 2020.
Sangeetha, V. and Chetan, S. V. “Happiness and peer pressure among adolescents.” Indian

Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 6, no. 1, 2015, pp. 103-105,

http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.bsu.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=101882206&site=ehost-live&scope=site, Accessed December 11

2020.