Peer Influence on Prosocial Behavior in Adolescence

TLDR

Adolescents are highly sensitive to peer influence, creating both vulnerabilities and opportunities. The study examined how peer feedback affects prosocial behavior in 12‑ to 16‑year‑old adolescents. Participants played a public goods game, allocating coins between self and group while receiving manipulated peer feedback on some decisions. Prosocial behavior rose after prosocial feedback and fell after antisocial feedback, demonstrating that peer influence can both hinder and promote prosocial development.

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of increased sensitivity to peer influence, which creates vulnerabilities but also opportunities. In this study, we examined the influence of peers on prosocial behavior in 12‐ to 16‐year‐old adolescents ( N = 197). We utilized a public goods game in which participants made decisions about the allocation of coins between themselves and the group. Participants received manipulated peer feedback on a subset of decisions. Results indicate a significant interaction between feedback condition (prosocial, antisocial, or no feedback) and allocation choices: Prosocial behavior increased after prosocial feedback and decreased after antisocial feedback. These findings support the idea that peer influence creates not only vulnerabilities, but also opportunities for healthy prosocial development and social adjustment learning.