Which term describes the influence a peer group has to force or persuade its members to conform?

Which term describes the influence a peer group has to force or persuade its members to conform?

• A. Coercion
• B. Peer pressure
• C. Globalisation
• D. Social order

Answer: (B)

Peer pressure is the influence from a peer group that pushes or persuades individuals to fit in with the group’s norms. It often operates through the desire to be accepted, so people go along with what friends think, say, or do, even if it’s not something they would choose on their own. This can show up as gentle encouragement, teasing, or the promise of social rewards, and it highlights normative social influence—the need to belong. It’s most visible among youth, but can occur in any group setting. Coercion would involve explicit threats or force, globalisation is about worldwide interconnectedness, and social order is the overall organization of society’s norms and institutions, not the specific process of peers shaping behavior.

Peer pressure is the influence from a peer group that pushes or persuades individuals to fit in with the group’s norms. It often operates through the desire to be accepted, so people go along with what friends think, say, or do, even if it’s not something they would choose on their own. This can show up as gentle encouragement, teasing, or the promise of social rewards, and it highlights normative social influence—the need to belong. It’s most visible among youth, but can occur in any group setting. Coercion would involve explicit threats or force, globalisation is about worldwide interconnectedness, and social order is the overall organization of society’s norms and institutions, not the specific process of peers shaping behavior.