Adolescent peer influence processes: Conceptualization and measurement☆

Starting from the theoretical literature on interpersonal influence, this paper raises questions regarding what measurement strategies can be usefully employed to assess the import of peer influence processes on scholastic behavior of high school students. Distinction is made between peer influences and those of normative climates of schools. Using several alternative measures of peer influences, it is shown that one's substantive conclusions about the impact of peer influences on scholastic performance and about the relationships between peer influences and normative climates of schools are very much dependent on what measure of peer influence one employs.

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