Peer Influence: Mechanisms and Motivations

• In Event: Specifying the Role of Friends and Family in the Etiology of Delinquency

Abstract

Research on peer influence has failed to uncover the specific mechanisms by which peers influence each other’s behavior either toward or away from deviance. We analyze qualitative data from a convenience sample of university students to describe both the methods by which peers influence each other’s behavior and self-reported motivations for attempting to influence others. We explore the implications for learning and control theories of crime.

Authors

• Barbara J. Costello, University of Rhode Island

• Christine Zozula, University of Rhode Island