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Implicit peer versus maternal influence on adolescents' preferences: Differences by age and gender
Joseph S Venticinque1, Myles N Arrington1, Amanda E Guyer1
1Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis.
Developmental Psychology
|August 4, 2025
Summary
Adolescents
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Adolescence is a critical period for identity formation.
- Understanding subtle social influences on adolescent preferences is crucial.
- Previous research has focused on explicit social input, neglecting subtle cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how implicit social influence from mothers and friends affects adolescent preferences.
- To examine the role of age, gender, and relationship quality in social influence.
- To validate a novel social influence paradigm for studying adolescent decision-making.
Main Methods:
- A novel social influence paradigm was employed with 100 adolescents (aged 10-17).
- Participants viewed implicit social influence cues from mothers and friends.
- Changes in adolescent preferences were measured based on the source and endorsement of cues.
Main Results:
- Adolescent preferences shifted based on the source (friend vs. mother) and endorsement of social cues.
- Stimuli endorsed by friends led to greater preference changes than those endorsed by mothers.
- These effects were more pronounced in early adolescents and girls, irrespective of relationship quality.
Conclusions:
- Implicit social cues from peers significantly shape adolescent preferences during identity development.
- Friends exert a stronger influence than mothers on adolescent preferences, particularly for girls and younger adolescents.
- The study highlights the importance of subtle social information in understanding adolescent social influence and identity formation.
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