Original scientific paper

ADOLESCENTS’ RISK EXPOSURE AT THE URGE OF THEIR PEERS – THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-PERCEPTION AND PERCEPTION OF OTHERS

Marija Forko ; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Martina Lotar ; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

In the process of socialization, other people are of particular importance because they serve as a model and through them children and adolescents adopt behaviour patterns. During the period of adolescence, peers influence each other in various ways that lead to behaviour change. One of those ways is peer pressure, through which peers try to impose group’s attitudes and/or behaviour to an adolescent.
Adolescents with low self-esteem give in to demands and expectations of others to a greater extent, which in the period of adolescence relate to the compliance to the behaviour of peers. Relationships with significant others are crucial for development of self-esteem. Simultaneously with development of self-concept, in the interaction with significant others, interpersonal orientation is also developed.
The aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between the adolescent susceptibility to peer pressure, their self-esteem and interpersonal orientation. The sample included 267 second grade pupils from two high schools in Zagreb. This is a convenient sample consisting of 69% of girls and 31% of boys aged 15-17 years. In order to achieve the objective of this research, the hypothetical situation for measuring susceptibility to peer pressure (Lotar, 2012), Self-liking/Self-competence Scale (SLCS; Tafarodi and Swann, 1995), and Scale of interpersonal orientation (Bezinović, 2002) have been applied.
The results have shown that susceptibility to peer pressure is negatively associated with self-esteem, but this correlation is pretty low. The results also showed that the gender, adolescents’ self-esteem and their philanthropic orientation are significant predictors of susceptibility to peer pressure. Boys and adolescents with lower self-esteem and higher philanthropic orientation showed to be more susceptible to peer pressure. There is no significant interaction effects of self-esteem and dimensions of interpersonal orientation to susceptibility to peer pressure.

Keywords

susceptibility to peer pressure; self-esteem; interpersonal orientation; risk behaviours; adolescents

Hrčak ID:

85001

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/85001

Publication date:

27.7.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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