Peer group

Early childhood peers engaged in parallel play

A peer group is a group of people who are equal in some way. Those in a peer group have the same status and are about the same age. They often interact with the group as a whole. Members of a peer group often have similar interests and backgrounds.

Developmental psychology

Developmental psychologists, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, and Harry Stack Sullivan, argued that peer relationships are important in a person's development, and teach about equality, reciprocity, cooperation, and intimacy. Modern research also shows that social and emotional gains are indeed provided by peer interaction.

Judith Rich Harris, in The Nurture Assumption, argues that an individual's peer group significantly influences their intellectual and personal development. Several long-term studies also claim that peer groups improve school work.

References

  1. ↑ "Peer group definition". encarta.msn.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  2. ↑ Wolf, Sun. (2008). Peer groups: expanding our study of small group communication. Thousand oaks,CA: Sage publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4129-2686-7
  3. ↑ Siegler, Robert (2006). How Children Develop, Exploring Child Develop Student Media Tool Kit & Scientific American Reader to Accompany How Children Develop. New York: Worth Publishers. ISBN 0716761130
  4. ↑ Kindermann, Thomas A. (1993). "Natural peer groups as contexts for individual development: The case of children's motivation in school". Developmental Psychology. 29 (6): 970–977. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.29.6.970.
  5. ↑ Sacerdote, Bruce (2001). "Peer Effects With Random Assignment: Results For Dartmouth Roommates". The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 116 (2): 681–704. doi:10.1162/00335530151144131.
  6. ↑ Robertson, Donald; Symons, James (2003). "Do Peer Groups Matter? Peer Group versus Schooling Effects on Academic Attainment". Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics. 70: 31–53. SSRN 388214.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)