The Attitude of Peers and the Development of Prejudice in Adolescence

Introduction

Studies have shown that many young people form their attitudes, political values, and prejudices in the adolescence stage. For example, according to a study by Raabe and Beelmann (2011), in which they conducted a meta-analysis of prejudice in adolescence and childhood, prejudice is linked to development and age in childhood and social influences in adolescence and later in life. However, few studies focus on it because of the limited longitudinal data available on the topic (Raabe & Beelmann 2011). Change or changes in prejudice at the individual level is not a topic that has been exhaustively explored. However, the theory shows that social influence plays a significant role in driving individuals to develop negative attitudes or beliefs about certain groups. Several social psychological theories emphasize the key role of the social environment: close friends, peers, and parents, in the adoption and development of both negative attitudes (e.g., Hjerm, Eger & Danell, 2018).

Moreover, sociological research also shows that social networks largely influence attitudes and beliefs. However, there are not many studies that look at how prejudice develops with time. This is what this proposal sets out to do. The objective of the research is to understand the relationship between attitudinal change and social context in persons. Specifically, this study aims to investigate how peer groups affect the formation and development of attitudes.

Research Question: How does peer attitude influence the development of prejudice in adolescents?

Hypothesis: Prejudice in groups affects and then determines individual prejudice with time,

Literature review

Many social psychology studies have shown that the social environment influences or determines adolescents' behavior and attitudes. For example, the SIDT (Social Identity Development Theory) (Raabe & Beelmann 2011). The behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes of children are largely influenced by the social identity (e.g., social class, gender, nationality, and race), which pressures them to conform to other group members. Social scientists widely accept SIDT. It is a theory that combines various social development and cognitive development. Another social theory, the social domain theory, also provides an empirical and theoretical approach that can be utilized to investigate and understand how moral development in young people results in prejudice or discrimination of individuals (Hjerm, Eger & Danell, 2018). According to SDT, when making a social evaluation, individuals usually consider separate social knowledge domains: the personal domain (their ideas, choices, and beliefs), the social-conventional domain (the

This framework looks at things that influence social factors, e.g., group status, group norms, and group processes. As is the case with SIDT, the SRD perspective argues that social associations can influence prejudice and how social groups relate to their members' decisions. Moreover, the SRD perspective looks at how prejudice develops in the social-cognitive development context and the interplay between group identity and morality in young people.

SRD perspective suggests that both group processes and morality principles largely influence young people's decision-making because both processes develop the same way from childhood, as shown by the early onset of morality and prejudice (Nesdale, 2017). Similar research has also shown how both adolescents and children balance their group identity concerns with their moral concerns when making decisions (Killen et al., 2013). A good example is the Hitti and Killen (2015) study. This study investigated non-Arab American adolescents' views on the inclusion-exclusion and inclusion of Arab American and non-Arab American peers with...

…a way that the child can understand, with the help of visuals aids where need be (Ferdousi, 2015).

Reducing risks of danger: Ethical practices and guidance aim to reduce any potential exloitation and ensure that children's well-being and rights are observed during the research. For that reason, an important ethical consideration in studies involving kids is the risk levels to which the kids might be exposed to. Risk can be described as possible harm (social, psychological, or physical) that might surface from the study. Researchers should not utilize the types of study procedures that might psychologically or physically harm the child (Ferdousi, 2015).

To protect and promote the welfare, dignity, and rights of children involved in studies, it is vital to encourage more considerate attention to the intricate ethical issues that surface when carrying out studies that children are involved in. The researcher should inform the kids that they completely respect their right to pull out from the study at any time. It is the researcher's responsibility to safeguard both the well-being and rights of the study participants. Thus, children should be provided the opportunity to express their views, learn more about themselves and their rights. In contrast, research activities should be controlled, and the researchers should make sure that their rights to privacy, unhindered communication, and consent are always protected (Ferdousi, 2015).

Conclusion

The seminal scholarship on socialization suggests that individuals' attitudes are swayed by their social relationships, particularly during teenage-hood, when someone's attitudes are most prone to change. According to the social learning theory, prejudicial attitudes get adopted from significant others like parents and peers. While hardly ever contested, this idea has rarely been explicitly tested. Also, whereas past studies have concentrated on dyadic friendships, this research aims to study the effect of the wider social contexts. It assesses how peer attitudes rooted…