Peer group norms affect adolescents' bystander social cognitions

Abstract

This study examined the impact of peer norms on judgments and reasoning about bystander responses to the social exclusion of immigrants among 431 British early (Mage = 11.67, SD = 1.64) and late (Mage = 16.73, SD = 0.87) adolescents. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental conditions in which ingroup and outgroup peer norms were either inclusive or exclusive. Subsequently, they read a story in which one British peer excluded an immigrant peer while another British peer challenged the exclusion. Participants rated their individual and perceived group evaluation of the challenger. Further, they were asked to evaluate how likely their peer group would be to support them if they challenged the exclusion. Results showed that only late adolescents exposed to the inclusive ingroup norm were more likely to perceive that their group would evaluate bystander challenging positively than those exposed to the exclusive norm. Late adolescents perceived higher peer support for being inclusive when the outgroup held an inclusive norm compared to early adolescents. Results suggest a developmental shift during adolescence, with reasoning and evaluations of challenging social exclusion becoming increasingly related to perceived ingroup and outgroup norms. Further, inclusive ingroup norms were indirectly associated with greater challenging through perceived group support for both age groups. Promoting inclusive peer group norms in schools can foster bystander challenging of immigrant exclusion, which in turn can help provide a safe and peaceful school environment for all youth.