The Social Pull: teacher key

Peer Pressure, grade 12 edition, written for 12th grade and up. Peer influence has been framed as passive and harmful, yet research on brains, charity and classic lab tests shows a more mixed picture. The book weighs evidence, its limits and what it means for teens.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What did the critique of Asch say about his results?
   • They hold in every country
   • They may not hold everywhere (answer)
   • They were made up
2. What did a review of brain imaging find about social influence?
   • Only reward regions are involved
   • Only control regions are involved
   • Social cognition, control and reward regions are all involved (answer)
3. What did the 2011 brain-scan researchers read the result as?
   • Peers making risky choices feel more rewarding (answer)
   • Peers turning off self-control
   • Peers making roads safer
4. How did psychology traditionally frame peer influence in adolescence?
   • As active and helpful
   • As passive and harmful (answer)
   • As unimportant
5. What does hypersensitive suggest when teens may be hypersensitive to all social stimuli?
   • Not affected at all
   • Very easily affected (answer)
   • Affected only by rewards
6. Researchers argue social influence can be used as an opportunity. What can it do?
   • Redirect negative trajectories and help adolescents thrive (answer)
   • Remove all peer groups
   • Replace parents

Words

• clique: tight group
• prosocial: helping others
• replication: a repeat study
• adaptive: helpful
• hypersensitive: very easily affected