An assessment was taken by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on violent behavior among adolescents in the United States to guide research towards areas that require intervention. The NIMH gathered information on the risk factors, experiences, and processes related to the development of aggressive, antisocial, and violent behavior…

This paper estimates peer effects by taking advantage of random assignment of first-year roommates through a housing lottery at a large state university. Preliminary results show that, when compared with white students who have white roommates, white students with black roommates express much more positive attitudes regarding affirmative action…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of gender in young children's teasing and bullying behavior. Observations and interviews were conducted with children in K-3 public school classrooms in urban and suburban locales with racially, ethnically, and economically diverse student bodies. The observations documented the gender of…

This report discusses current research findings on the effects of peers and social interaction on academic achievement, then analyzes current national data, comparing results to the existing academic literature. Data from the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) database on reading were used to test the influences of peer…

The Vicarious Learning project is aimed at understanding the role of dialogue in learning about complex conceptual domains. The fundamental assumption of "vicarious learning" is that students can receive benefits from exposure to discussions among their peers and between students and tutors. To elicit dialogues that can be captured, F.…

Assessed the impact of assertion training on college students' (N=48) drug use. Results showed the assertion training group exhibited significantly less willingness to use drugs, less drug use, and more drug refusals than a placebo discussion group. Results support the effectiveness of assertion in reducing peer pressure. (JAC)

Introduces journal issue devoted to youth in the electronic environment. Asks if contemporary adolescents are surrounded by an "electronic environment" and how that environment may influence their development and growth. (CMG)

Shows tests of social learning theory in a rural middle school setting in 1975 and 1979 determined that variables (i.e., social reinforcement, social/nonsocial reinforcements, differential associations, and supportive definitions) accounted for 34 percent variance level of marijuana use in 1975 and 52 percent variance in 1979. Suggests marijuana…

Examined female college students' (N=466) drug use, marihuana use in particular. Results indicated that the gap in marihuana usage patterns between females and males has substantially narrowed. Female marihuana users used other drugs quite extensively and had friends who use marihuana. Peer influence was a major factor in drug use. (JAC)

Focuses on the concept of belief as a social bond in relationship to marijuana use among adolescents. Results of a survey of 571 junior and senior high school students showed that perception of certainty of apprehension and association with a nonmarijuana-using group were effective deterents. (JAC)

A survey of male Ph.D.s in chemistry and psychology at selective liberal arts colleges showed the publication rate of department colleagues to be positively related to current publication productivity of the focal faculty member. Colleagues influenced research activity of faculty with low prior research levels, but not higher prior levels.…

Suggests that, for professional women, a male-patterned network is not professionally useful or psychologically desirable. Proposes an alternative, collegial model of networking based on mutual support between peers and colleagues, capitalizing on positive feminine characteristics. (Author)

P.R.A.I.S.E. (Positive Reinforcement and Individualized Systematic Economics) is a multifaceted money system which utilizes positive and negative reinforcement and, at the same time, incorporates peer pressure and reinforcement for behavior modification. The system motivates, relates closely to life situations, and can be applied to all areas of…

Explores the generalization of changes in children's preferences for easy or difficult goals, when their preferences are induced by exposure to peer models playing a novel athletic game. Subjects played the same game immediately after exposure, participated in a "spelling bee" three weeks later, and chose puzzles of differing levels of…

A study investigated the decision-making process regarding the cigarette smoking of students in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11. Results indicate that greater emphasis needs to be placed on the social factors of the decision-making process in school health education programs and that the emphasis on social concerns should increase with grade level. (JN)