ABSTRACT
Many theories of social psychology, such as ref-erence group theory (Newcomb, 1950; Sherif, 1948), small group theory (Festinger, Schachter, & Back, 1950; Hare, 1964; Homans, 1950), social
learning theory (Bandura, 1977; Burgess & Akers, 1966; Sutherland & Cressey, 1978), social impact theory (Latané, 1981), and, more recently, social network theory (Smelser, 1988; Wellman, 1988)
identify peer groups as a major source of attraction and influence. Many theories of adolescence similarly identify the peer group as central to adolescent behaviors, attitudes, and values (e.g., Blos, 1962; J. C. Coleman, 1980; J. S. Coleman, 1961; Douvan & Adelson, 1966; Hartup, 1983). Accordingly, the peer group has been used to explain a variety of adolescent attributes and behaviors, including orientation toward school (J. S. Coleman, 1961; Davies & Kandel, 1981), popular teen culture (Ball, 1981; Dunphy, 1963; Eder, 1985), and drug use (Jessor & Jessor, 1977; Kandel, 1978a).
