Chun 1

CPT phase 2
Isaac Chun

Secondary Research:

'Me, my classmates and my buddies': analysing peer group effects on student

marijuana consumption.

APA citation:

Duarte, R., Escario, J., & Molina, J. (2011). “Me, my classmates and my buddies”: analysing
peer group effects on student marijuana consumption. Education Economics, 19(1),
89–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/09645290902796332

This paper explores the influence of peer behaviour on marijuana consumption by

adolescent students. Rosa Duarte, José-Julián Escarioa, and José-Alberto Molina aim to

examine the full extent of peer pressure on teenage youth and how it can affect one’s

morals and behaviour. The psychologists question the relevance of the traditional

measures of peer groups when regarding marihuana use. Compared to this, a more

personal and close peer group would be more relevant. Individuals in their teenage years

can be easily swayed by the fear of losing their sense of belonging and identity. In such

circumstances, the power and influence a peer group has on an individual is determined

by the extent of the relationship between the individual and the peer group.

The authors of this paper state that the two most crucial social influences of adolescents

are family and close friends. At a younger age, the child is heavily influenced by their

parents rather than their peers. However, the fact that teens begin to detach themselves

from their parents and begin to converse with friends more is emphasized by the
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researchers of this paper; consequently, a teen’s friends become their more important

social group. It was a common belief that illegal drug use depended solely on the

individual’s characteristics and decision. However, the researchers of this paper find that

there is a direct correlation between the influence of friends and the consumption of

marijuana.

In order to manipulate the impact of social influence to counter drug use, the researchers

had to determine the extent of the effect of peer pressure on an individual’s decisions.

Although the influence of society can be seen, measuring the exact amount of pressure

put on an individual is not an easy task. The researchers try to evaluate the degree of

change on the behaviour of an individual from the influence of their friends; in order to

do so, the researchers had to confront two major questions. The first question is how the

ideals of a friend group affects the behavior of an individual. Although the decisions of

an individual are influenced by the peer group, the peer group is also influenced by the

individual. Therefore, the authors of this paper state that the influence of just one member

in a peer group may spark a change in the norms of the group and can be manipulated to

prevent marijuana consumption.

Norms

APA citation:

Griffiths, H., & Keirns, N. (2015). 3.2 Norms. In Introduction to Sociology 2e. OpenStax.

https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-2e/pages/3-2-elements-of-culture
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The research in this book explores specific norms and how people have become

accustomed to these norms. “Norms are the expectations about proper behaviour for a

specific social group”(Griffiths, H., & Keirns, N. 2015). Rules set by these social groups

are called norms. The social group defines “good” conduct and promotes that while

preventing the “bad” conduct. Deviating from the norms of society can lead to

punishment or rejection. Sociologist Harold Garfinkel conducted an experiment in which

he intentionally broke a social norm and observed the reactions of people to his breach.

This was to test the idea of social norms. The people experimented on were not informed

of the experiment. His experiments included walking up stairs backwards and standing to

eat a meal at a restaurant. The reactions included confusion, anxiety, anger, and laughter.

This is because the actions Harold Garfinkel performed were considered “weird” by

society’s norms. This experiment showed the evidence of the invisible social boundaries

we live by.

The power of peer influence to address student behavioral problems.

APA citation:

Van Ryzin, M. J., & Roseth, C. J. (2018). The power of peer influence to address student
behavioral problems. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(8), 62–66.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721718775682

The research conducted by Mark Van Ryzin and Cary Roseth in this article examines the

extent of the influence of peer pressure from social groups on individuals in order to

expand their understanding of adolescent motivation on academics. During the process of

growth from childhood to adolescents, individuals go through numerous changes

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including physical, emotional, and mental developments. Mark and Cary suggest that

during this stage, the motivation and values of adolescents can be heavily affected by the

influence of their peer group because the urge to be accepted by society begins to grow.

The peer groups surrounding a person establish social norms which one must follow in

order to receive support and approval, whereas behaviour that deviates from the norm can

lead to rejection. Peer groups also have the ability to attract outside individuals in the

society with similar behaviours into the group which is described as “homophily.” Mark

and Cary’s research emphasizes the power of peer groups on individuals through the

occurrence of homophily, peer pressure, and social norms.

Mark and Cary attempted to analyze and through activities relatively with groups they

highlight the peer influence on individuals which enhanced collaborative peer learning.

Through their experiments, Mark and Cary came upon the idea of “positive

interdependence” which occurs when the only way an individual can attain their goal is if

others in their group meet their goals as well. Students in the same group were compelled

to help one another in order to succeed which led to enhanced learning and efficiency.“In

a meta-analysis of 148 studies representing over 17,000 early adolescents, peer learning

was associated with greater achievement and more positive peer relationships as

compared to competitive or individualistic instructional approaches.”(Roseth, Johnson, &

Johnson, 2008). The results of peer learning expressed acceptance in society, greater

relationships with other peers, and increase of efficiency in learning.

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It was noted by Mark and Cary that peer learning increased the overall achievement and

motivation of students. Next, they wanted to test social influence as a means to reduce

bullying and alcohol and drug use. The home room teachers of exactly fifteen middle

schools based in Oregon were trained to inform students about the issues of bullying and

drug use through peer learning. Students got into groups and expressed their personal

beliefs on the importance of drug prevention which sparked a new social standard within

the groups. The results suggested that the schools significantly experienced lower rates in

bullying, emotional problems, and victimization.

Mark and Cary have theorized and experimented on the social ability of peer pressure and

concluded that it can produce extremely positive effects if used correctly. Group based,

collaborative learning offers numerous advantages in comparison to the curriculum

based, instructional learning. Peer learning benefits student relationships and promotes

productivity. Mark and Cary encourage teachers to adopt this form of study which can be

applied to any form or subject of learning. In addition, the evidence collected in the

school experiments suggest that peer learning is a significant factor of issues in student

behaviour and can reduce it. Mark and Cary conclusively describe peer learning as an

efficient method of enhancing learning and controlling behavioural outcomes in society

without a large risk.

Thesis:
“Teens tend to follow the social norms with little to no defiance when they are in the presence of
a close peer group and individuals begin to adopt social norms defined by those peer groups.”
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References

Duarte, R., Escario, J., & Molina, J. (2011). “Me, my classmates and my buddies”: analysing
peer group effects on student marijuana consumption. Education Economics, 19(1),
89–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/09645290902796332

Griffiths, H., & Keirns, N. (2015). 3.2 Norms. In Introduction to Sociology 2e. OpenStax.
https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-2e/pages/3-2-elements-of-culture

Van Ryzin, M. J., & Roseth, C. J. (2018). The power of peer influence to address student
behavioral problems. Phi Delta Kappan, 99(8), 62–66.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721718775682