Adolescents misperceive and are influenced by high-status peers’ health risk, deviant, and adaptive behavior.

• DOI: 10.1037/a0038178
• Publication Date: 2014-11-03T16:24:47Z
• Authors: Sarah W. Helms; Sophia Choukas-Br...; Laura Widman; Matteo Giletta; Geoffrey L. Cohen; Mitchell J. Prins...
• Keywords: Socialization; Popularity; Peer influence

Most peer influence research examines socialization between adolescents and their best friends. Yet, also are influenced by popular peers, perhaps due to misperceptions of social norms. This examined the extent which out-group in-group misperceive frequencies peers' deviant, health risk, adaptive behaviors in different reputation-based crowds (Study 1) prospective associations perceptions high-status adolescents' own substance use over 2.5 years 2). Study 1 235 reported deviant (vandalism, theft), risk (substance use, sexual risk), (exercise, studying) behavior, jocks', populars', burnouts', brains' engagement same behaviors. Peer nominations identified each crowd. Jocks populars were rated as higher status than brains burnouts. Results indicated that crowd stereotypes caricatures. Misperceptions dramatic, but for many behaviors, no differences populars'/jocks' others' actual revealed. 2 assessed 166 (i.e., peers high perceived popularity) use. Parallel process latent growth analyses revealed Grade 9 (intercept) significantly predicted steeper increases from 11 (slope). both studies, utilizing methods, offer evidence suggest these may predict behavior engagement.