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Social influence on risk perception during adolescence.
Lisa J Knoll1, Lucía Magis-Weinberg2, Maarten Speekenbrink2
1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience l.knoll@ucl.ac.uk.
Psychological Science
|March 27, 2015
Summary
Peer influence on risk perception decreases with age. While most age groups conform to adult opinions, young adolescents are more swayed by teenage risk ratings, highlighting the significant impact of peer opinions during adolescence.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Risk Perception Studies
Background:
- Peer relationships gain prominence during adolescence.
- Adolescents exhibit increased risk-taking behaviors in group settings.
- Understanding social influence on risk assessment across age groups is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of social influence on risk perception.
- To compare the impact of adolescent versus adult social influence on risk ratings.
- To identify age-specific patterns in susceptibility to peer and adult opinions regarding risk.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 563 participants across various age groups.
- Participants initially rated the riskiness of everyday situations.
- Post-exposure to social-influence group ratings (teenagers or adults), participants re-rated situations.
Main Results:
- A significant social-influence effect was observed across all age groups, with ratings shifting towards the provided group's assessments.
- The magnitude of the social-influence effect diminished with increasing age.
- Most participants adjusted their risk ratings more in line with adult group ratings than teenager group ratings.
Conclusions:
- Social influence significantly impacts risk perception throughout development, though its effect lessens with age.
- Early adolescents are uniquely influenced by peer (teenager) risk perceptions over adult perceptions.
- This suggests that peer opinions on risk hold particular weight for young adolescents compared to adult opinions.
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