Peer Pressure A healthy part of children’s development is involvement with their peers. This is especially true during adolescence as teenagers develop a sense of independence from their parents. Members of a peer group often dress alike, talk about similar things, like the same music, laugh at the same jokes, and share secrets. Most of the time, when the word “peer pressure” comes up, we quickly associate it with negative connotation, but studies have shown that there are positive effects that peer pressure can bring. Psychologists try to explain why teenager are particularly prone to peer pressure. Robert Bernstein, a professor at Miami University of Ohio recently