Ames has never had alcohol, but he believes his friends when they tell him that almost everybody at their school drinks regularl
y. In reality, very few students at the school drink alcohol. Which statement best describes what is occurring in this situation?
A. Peers are having little influence over what James thinks.
B. Students are pressuring James to drink.
C. Peers are influencing how James thinks about what is normal behavior.
D. James is giving in to peer pressure.
The correct answer C. Peers are influencing how James thinks about what is normal behavior.
Explanation:
Peers such as classmates, co-workers or people of the same age, profession, etc. can influence our behaviors, actions or beliefs; this phenomenon is known as peer pressure. In the case described, peer pressure occurs because James' friends tell him every student at school drinks, which causes James to think this is true, and therefore drinking is a normal behavior in most students. This implies, in this situation "Peers are influencing how James thinks about what is normal behavior". Moreover, this biased idea of normal behavior might cause that in the future James wants to drink alcohol just because he thinks everybody does this.
