Peer Influence

Peer Influence Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Peer Influence Adolescence remains a fundamental developmental stage considering its influence on the social and emotional development of an adolescent. Partly, the changes that individuals experience during adolescence stem from the nature of their interactions with others like parents and peers (Smith, 2016). As noted by Jean Piaget in the exploration of the formal operational stage and evolving social dynamics, the changes are stimulated by cognitive developments. An extensive analysis of the formal operational stage should create an insight into understanding adolescents as they undergo cognitively influenced developments and engagements with peer influence. Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage Individuals officially enter Piaget’s formal operational stage at adolescence. This stage is unique in the development of adolescents as it comes with significant changes (Frank, 2021). For instance, it is at the formal operational stage that people develop the ability to think abstractly, explore hypothetical scenarios, and reason logically. The above characteristics showcase an advancement of a cognitive shift in adolescence. It is the same shift that enables individuals to evaluate social situations such as peer relationships more critically. Further, the cognitive shifts can stimulate more idealistic thinking among teenagers. It is the idealistic thinking prospects that render adolescents susceptible to peer influence (Frank, 2021). Significant to note at this stage is the understanding that adolescents experience an abrupt improvement of reasoning skills at this stage that overshadows impulsivity and can lead to risky behaviors such as peer influence. ...