Researchers studied 526 children in grades five through eight, asking them to classify their classmates into groups such as "popular," "nice kids," and "physically aggressive." The children who were in the "nice" group did not change over the course of the study. However, children in the "cool and popular" group changed their behaviors to live up to the peer group. Likewise, children in the deviant groups engaged in more risky behaviors and became more disliked over time.
This study appears in the July/August issue of Child Development.
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Labels: behavior, research, influences
Posted By: Aspen Education Group