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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
15:01
Peering into the Dynamics of Social Interactions: Measuring Play Fighting in Rats
Published on: January 18, 2013
Adolescent growth in new forms of problem behavior: macro- and micro-peer dynamics
G R Patterson1, T J Dishion, K Yoerger
1Oregon Social Learning Center, 160 East Fourth Ave., Eugene, Oregon 97401, USA. carleenr@oslc.org
Summary
Early involvement with deviant peers significantly predicts adolescent problem behavior growth. This link is mediated by deviancy training, highlighting peer influence on substance use, risky sexual behavior, and arrests.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Adolescent problem behavior, including substance use, risky sexual behavior, and arrests, emerges during teenage years.
- Understanding the developmental trajectories and predictors of these behaviors is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze individual linear trend scores for new forms of problem behavior from ages 10 to 18.
- To investigate the pathways linking early peer involvement to the growth of adolescent problem behavior.
- To examine the mediating role of deviancy training in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal data from an at-risk sample were analyzed.
- Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess relationships between variables.
- Latent constructs for adolescent problem behavior and deviancy training were developed.
Main Results:
- Early involvement with deviant peers showed a significant direct path to the growth of new antisocial behaviors.
- This association was mediated by deviancy training, assessed at age 14.
- Deviancy training, encompassing reinforcement rates, time spent with peers, and network deviancy, explained 53% of the variance in later problem behavior growth.
Conclusions:
- Peer influence, particularly through deviancy training, plays a critical role in the development of adolescent problem behaviors.
- Interventions targeting peer networks and deviancy reinforcement may mitigate the escalation of substance use, risky sexual behavior, and criminal activity.
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