Poster #121 - Adolescents’ Sensitivity to Normative Information From Peers and Teachers

• In Event: Poster Session 01

Abstract

Normative information from one’s social environment is fundamental in guiding behavior crucial to human development and social functioning. During the formative years of adolescence, the school is one of the most prominent social environments shaping individuals’ own norms and behavior but also preparing them for adulthood. In the school context, peers constitute a salient source of information from which adolescents learn what is (dis)approved of, essential for their integration and acceptance in the peer group. However, teachers may also be influential, representing an important source of information from which adolescents learn how to navigate larger social contexts. Little is known, however, about the influence of teachers on adolescent behavior. Hence, we aimed at understanding how different social sources shape adolescents’ own norms and intentions which are significant determinants of behavior. Particularly, we used a controlled two-wave experimental design to investigate how adolescents’ intention of real-world behaviors is shaped by normative information from peers (horizontal influence) and from teachers (oblique influence) (i) directly, and (ii) indirectly by changes in personal norms. In the first wave, adolescents (N = 138; 48% identified as female; Mage = 14.6 years) rated their personal norms and intentions of risk-taking and prosocial behaviors. In the second wave, they rated this again while observing normative information from a group of peers or a group of teachers. Adolescents tended to disapprove of risk-taking and approve of prosociality. Also, they were generally less willing to engage in risk-taking behavior and more likely to be prosocial. Exposure to normative information from peers and teachers greatly impacted both adolescents’ personal norms and intention of behavior. Preliminary results suggest that the direct effect of normative information on intentions change does not depend on the social source. However, the social source seems to moderate the indirect effect of normative information on changes in intentions through changes in personal norms. Particularly, normative information from teachers seems to be more influential than peers. Our findings suggest that both horizontal and oblique influences are important during adolescence, contributing to the formation of individuals’ intention of behavior.

Authors

• Ana da Silva Pinho, University of Amsterdam
  Presenting Author

• Lucas Molleman

• Barbara R. Braams

• Wouter Van den Bos, University of Amsterdam