Effect of Group Pressure On Moral Judgment

Effect of Group Pressure on Moral Judgment
Abstract
This study was designed to determine if group pressure affects moral judgment and the
variations of moral judgment among different moral themes such as vandalism, cheating,
stealing, parental disobedience, smoking, discrimination, premarital sex, suicide and drug use.
The participants of the study were twenty (20) regular third year Bachelor of Science Computer
Science students of Trinity University of Asia. The sample consisted of 70% males and 30%
females with a mean age of 19.25. The study used a two-independent group design where the
experimental group had been applied group pressure by employing confederates while the
control group had none. Twelve practical questions in the Moral Vignettes constructed by the
researchers were given to both groups and served as the main data-gathering instrument. Upon
statistical analysis, an obtained value of 3.26 was found to be greater than the tabled value of
2.101 under a .05 level of significance. 57.78% answered morally wrong responses to the
questions and 25.5% did not. Under group pressure, 80% favored vandalism, 70% for cheating,
smoking and discrimination, 60% for suicide, 50% for parental disobedience, premarital sex and
drug use and 20% for stealing. Under no group pressure, 80% were in favor of smoking, 50%
discrimination, 40% premarital sex and cheating, 10% vandalism and parental disobedience and
0% stealing, suicide and drug use. Results suggested that group pressure affects moral judgment
and that moral judgment for the different themes varies.
Nikki Angeli Sarmiento, October 2010
CHAPTER I
PROBLEM
INTRODUCTION
That reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black is a
matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that
guide our conduct.
~Solomon Eliot Asch, social psychologist
Group pressure has been studied to be the common cause of conformity. Conformity has
been defined as a change in behavior or belief to accord with others (Myers, 2008). Studies of
group pressure and conformity have begun with Solomon Asch in the 1950s. He used the famous
line judgment test as the measure of the effectiveness of applied group pressure. Statistics-wise,
the result of his experiment was this: people only conform 37% of the time but 75% of them
conformed at least once (Myers, 2008).
A common criticism of Aschs classic conformity experiment that brought the
researchers to conduct this study is the weak generalization of the results to real life situations.
To use judgment of the length of a line in a laboratory is a vague measure of relating conformity
on important real life issues (Hock, 2005). Even Asch himself have noted: That reasonably
intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black is a matter of concern.
It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that guide our conduct
(Myers, 2008). Providing an incorrect answer on a simple perception test such as the line
judgment has proportionately less crucial effects than modifying moral values. If people are
willing to change their moral values to gain the support of other people in a group situation,
especially if the group is in favor of an obviously unacceptable set of moral values, then it is
truly a matter of grave concern (Mazhar and Kaiser, 2009).
Kohlberg defined moral judgment by saying that moral behavior is defined in reference
to a subjects internal, accepted moral principles, rather than external social norms and
standards (Lind, 2008). In short, a person is considered to be moral if he behaves in accordance
with his own moral principles (internal factors) than conforming to societal rules or norms
(external factors).
It is also important to note what Lind says about the most successful and productive years
for moral development are between the ages of ten and sixteen years of age (Lind, 1997). Simply
put, the formative years of moral development are significant in a childs school years,
particularly from late childhood to adolescence. Piaget, one whose theories are most
acknowledged, said that as children develop, they become more sophisticate in thinking about
social matters, especially about the possibilities and conditions of cooperation. He also argued
that children with authoritarian parents mostly possess advanced moral reasoning and that
children who spend more time with their peers may have conflicting moral views and thus be
open to disagreements and arguments (Santrock, 2007). This variation in the persons intrinsic
moral beliefs may cause a weakening in the childs moral judgment.
Conformity with ones peer group is strongest during adolescence (Steinberg, 2007).
Adolescents strongly desire to be liked and accepted by their friends and the larger peer group.
They feel gratified when accepted or suffer extreme stress and anxiety when ostracized and
criticized by their peers. They are most concerned with how peers regard them and they consider
this the most important aspect of their lives. Conformity to peer pressure in adolescence can be
positive or negative. The negative conformity behavior may range from mildly offensive acts
such as foul language, stealing, cheating, vandalizing and bullying. However, conformity may be
positive for the teenager if it motivates him to join in prosocial activities (Santrock, 2007).
The fact that adolescence is a time when many problem behaviors and emotions begin or
escalate may be attributed to the biological, psychological and social changes that occur with it
and which prohibits parents or other significant people in the adolescents childhood to provide
consistent support and guidance throughout their transition. This makes them more vulnerable to
situations that increase problematic behavior, reducing their ability to respond in a healthy way
when faced with troubling circumstances or difficult decisions (Haugaard, 2000). If the factors,
such as peer influence, that affect how adolescents make moral decisions are understood, these
will provide vital information for those aiming to prevent an adaptation of a wrong set of moral
principles or values.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The researchers believe that as of the present, peer pressure continues to play a dominant
theme in peoples lives, especially on adolescents, when the need for social acceptance and
belongingness is great. An observable evidence for such phenomenon may be seen on the
television or in newspaper, where news of a group of young people bashing other groups for
supremacy or an increasing prevalence of teenage parents and sexually infected youth are due to
lack of effective sex education and unprotected sex exist. Sensitive issues such as drug use,
suicide, abortion and euthanasia may first be encountered and discussed in the adolescents
external environment, away from the safety and comfort of their homes. Among these
environmental forces, the peer group may pose to be the strongest one since most of adolescents
time is spent on interaction with their friends.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
There are several main framework provided for this literature review. First is Erik
Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development, particularly on adolescence. This theory was
developed in the 1950s and has since then greatly influenced a lot of contemporary researches
today. Erikson has contributed by far the most comprehensive and stimulating views of identity
development. Adolescents undergo a developmental crisis called identity versus role confusion
which is typically present from ten to twenty years of age. Adolescents enter what Erikson calls a
psychological moratorium, which is a gap between the security of childhood and the
autonomy of adulthood. It is in this period that adolescents learn to experiment with themselves
and assume different roles and identities. If the process of exploring and experimenting with
these roles and identities is conducted in a healthy manner then a positive identity will be sought
out. However, if the adolescent assumed an identity that is against his true consent, such as an
identity that is acquired from external pressure, and various roles and identities are not
sufficiently explored, then it will result to identity confusion (Santrock, 2006).
The formation of an identity is not achieved in an organized manner nor is it developed
abruptly. It involves commitment to a vocational direction, an ideological stance, and a sexual
orientation. It is a long-term process which involves rejection and acceptance of various roles.
Identities are developed in bits and pieces. Adolescents may be required to make a lot of
decisions, however mundane it may seem, and they are expected to make these decisions
frequently in their lives to eventually shape their identities (Santrock, 2006). Additionally, the
adolescents perception of appropriate moral standards is part of their identity formation. The
challenge to them is how they are able to choose between the acceptable and unacceptable set of
moral values to maintain a positive identity. Should they conform to the greater majoritys wrong
set of moral values to feel liked and accepted or should they do the right thing even it means
facing perceived rejection and disgust from the group? That is their dilemma.
In 1970, Erikson summarized three stages of moral development namely specific moral
learning, ideological concerns and ethical consolidation. Among the three, adolescents belonged
to the second stage. It is in the stage of adolescence that children seek for identity. If the
adolescents are misled by the moral and religious beliefs that they obtained in their childhood
then they might lose their sense of purpose. This causes adolescents to look for a philosophy to
give meaning to their lives and this they commonly acquire from other people (Santrock, 2007).
For Erikson, delinquency is an attempt to establish an identity, although a negative one.
Adolescents who were not able to assume acceptable social roles or have acquired undesirable
feelings of not being able to measure up to the social pressure placed upon them are more likely
to choose a negative identity. Adolescents who assume a negative identity may be reinforced by
the support of peers in their delinquent behaviors (Santrock, 2006).
Parents are undoubtedly important figures in the identity formation of adolescents.
According to studies conducted by Enright and others in 1980 that relate identity development to
parenting styles, it was found that democratic parents, who encourage adolescents to participate
in family decision making, foster identity achievement. Autocratic parents, who control the
adolescents behavior without giving the adolescent an opportunity to express opinions,
encourage identity foreclosure. Permissive parents, who provide little guidance to adolescents
and allow them to make their own decisions, promote identity diffusion (Santrock, 2006).
Another study conducted by Cooper and Grotevant in 1989 investigated the role of individuality
and connectedness to identity formation. Their findings reveal that identify formation is
enhanced by family relationships that are both individuated, which encourages adolescents to
develop their own point of view, and connected, which provides a secure base from which to
explore the widening social worlds of adolescence (Santrock, 2006).
According to Harry Stack Sullivan, friends also play important roles in identity
development of adolescents. All people have various basic social needs, including the need for
secure attachment, playful companionship, social acceptance, intimacy and sexual relations. If
these needs are not met, the adolescents suffer a decreased sense of self-worth (Santrock, 2006).
The second framework is based on the moral development in Jean Piagets Theory.
Piaget conducted comprehensive observations and interviews of children aged four to twelve. He
questioned them about different ethical issues, such as theft, lies, punishment and justice, and
made conclusions that children possess two distinct morality thinking namely heteronomous
morality and autonomous morality. A heteronomous thinker judges the rightness or goodness of
behavior by considering the consequences of the behavior, not the intentions of the actor. For the
moral autonomist, the reserve is true. Furthermore, the morality thinking of children depends on
their developmental maturity. Piaget found out that young children (heteronomous thinkers) tend
to resist new concepts while older children (moral autonomists) are more prone to accept change
Piaget also noted that as children mature, they are more involved with social issues and are more
willing to take on tasks that require the contribution of other people. Children are more likely to
have more matured moral reasoning when they are with their peers than with their parents
because with the former, they may express their own beliefs and settle any disputes to come up at
a harmonious decision while with the latter, the children do not have the power to reason our or
resist because the rules are usually absolute. Furthermore, Piaget believed that adolescents
generally operate in the formal operational stage where they use more logical, abstract and
deductive way of reasoning. Adolescents are capable of forming their own belief, intelligence
and faith about moral concepts (Santrock, 2007).
Another major framework used in the study is Lawrence Kohlbergs theory on moral
development. Kohlberg believed that moral development is achieved in a succession of stages.
The key concept in his theory is internalization which is defined as the developmental change
from behavior that is externally controlled to a behavior that is controlled by internal standards
and principles. Related with Piagets belief, Kohlberg also claim that as children develop, their
moral thoughts are more internalized. He hypothesized that people may go through three levels
of moral development, with two stages differentiating each level. He argued that most
adolescents analyze at the third stage which is mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships
and interpersonal conformity with indications of stages two and four which are individualism,
purpose and exchange and social systems morality respectively. In stage three, adolescents
place high significance in trust, caring and loyalty to others as a foundation for moral judgment.
It is in this stage that children assume their parents moral principles because of the desire to be
viewed as a good girl or good boy (Santrock, 2007).
Both Piaget and Kohlberg believed that one of the crucial factors that provoke
adolescents to alter their moral orientation is their interaction with peers. According to several
studies, a more advanced reasoning is developed when the adolescents peers immerse in
challenging conversations. A study also indicated that an individual who operates at higher levels
of moral reasoning is related to considerable close friends and being seen as a leader. Kohlberg
also believed that parents play a significant role in the moral development of their children. He
said that parents who encourage healthy conversations about issues that involve values are
helping their children acquire more advanced moral thoughts (Santrock, 2007).
The study was conducted at Trinity University of Asia on school year 2010-2011. The
participants were chosen from the College of Computer Science, particularly third year regular
students of BS Computer Science. The variables manipulated in the study were group pressure
and moral judgment which were the independent and dependent variables respectively. The two
conditions, with and without group pressure, were provided to determine the moral judgment of
the participants.
Figure 1 presents the model of conceptual framework or the research paradigm of the
study.
RESEARCH PARADIGM
Figure 1
Trinity University of Asia

College of Computing & Information Sciences
3rd Year BS Computer Science Students
Control
Group
Experimental
Group
Without
Group Pressure
With
Group Pressure
Moral
Judgment
10
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
This study aims to determine the effect of group pressure on adolescents moral
judgment. Included in this study are third year BS Computer Science students of Trinity
University of Asia in Quezon City School Year 2010-2011. Specifically, it aims to answer the
following questions:
1. Does group pressure affect moral judgment?
2. Does moral judgment for the different themes vary?
HYPOTHESIS
1. Group pressure does not affect moral judgment.

2. Moral judgment for the different themes does not vary.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Peer pressure is often stigmatized by the society as negative and is commonly associated
with the words drugs, alcohol, violence, sex and immorality to name a few. For some, it is a
scapegoat that one usually uses to justify ones morally unaccepted acts and to defend oneself
from the judgmental eyes of the society. My friends forced me to may be the words an
adolescent may find himself saying to be spared from the blame. The adolescent may also point
fingers at his parents, how he is raised and taught. It does make sense since low levels of selfesteem have been linked with a greater likelihood of conformity to external pressure and poor
11
parenting style is one of the causes of a degrading view of oneself. Despite these, it cannot be
taken for granted that an individual is capable of making his own choices and one of which is
choosing peer groups that will assist him to attain healthy development as he matures.
This study may be used as a reference for determining the role of group pressure in the
decision-making of the adolescent, particularly in moral situations. The study does not aim to
present an ugly picture of adolescence but a realistic truth that may be viewed in such a way that
people may understand the fragility of children in this certain developmental stage of their life,
that they may be treated with understanding and concern instead of criticism. It is especially
important for parents to realize that while autonomy is important for their adolescent children,
they must still provide them with guidance and set clear moral restrictions of what they are
expected to behave. It is this fact that will help adolescents to see as the correct path to building
self-esteem that will later shape them into good citizens of the society.
This study will also be significant to teachers as it will enable them to fully grasp that
they too have an important duty to carry out which is to provide motivation for their adolescent
students and assist them in any way they can, to serve as a mediator between conflicts that the
students face so that negative peer pressure may not get in the way to eventually diminish their
self-esteem. Even other researchers may use its significance to generate more comprehensive
studies about the topic, so that a greater understanding is achieved for the people involved and
that they may be able to spread the notion that positive pressure exists and it is within the reach
of any individual. It is just a matter of time before all people realize this.
12
SCOPE, DELIMITATION AND LIMITATIONS
The scope of the study involved the utilization of the Moral Vignettes which is
considered as the tool for measuring moral judgment. They are identified and described by
various moral themes such as vandalism, cheating, stealing, parental disobedience, smoking,
sexism, premarital sex, suicide and drug use. Such instrument was constructed by the researchers
by adaptation of several literature regarding the problematic behaviors in adolescence. The
researchers chose regular third year Bachelor of Computer Science students in Trinity University
of Asia as the population which may seem to be a minority when compared to larger populations,
such as all third year Trinity University of Asia students, the whole student population of Trinity
University of Asia, all adolescents of Quezon City and if on a really bigger scale, all the
adolescents in the country. This in turn lowers the generalization factor of the chosen population
to the bigger population. The justification of the researchers for choosing this population is the
fact that a small number of participants may well suffice for understanding human behavior with
regards to the topic. Add the fact that the researchers worked with time constraints and limited
resources which may have an effect with regard to the exactness and thoroughness of data
gathered. Most of the participants in the study are adolescent males which may be considered as
a factor that affects the results of the study. Another limitation is the idea derived from Kohlberg
and Lind about the duality of moral development (Lind, 2008). Moral thought and moral
behavior are on two separate but perpendicular planes which mean that what the adolescents
think may not be what they act out. It was not determined in the study if the moral responses of
the adolescents are what they will also choose to perform when in the actual situations. In short,
the results may not be significantly generalized to real-life situations.
13
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The following terms were defined operationally to give the readers a more coherent
understanding of the study.
Adolescence. It is a transitional period in the human life span, linking childhood and adulthood
(Santrock, 2006). In the study, it refers to individuals aged 17 to 24 years old.
Confederate. It refers to the accomplice of the experimenter who aims to apply group pressure
in the experimental group.
Conformity. It occurs when individuals adopt the attitudes or behavior of others because of real
or imagined pressure from them (Santrock, 2007). In the study, it happens when the participant
in the experimental group chooses the same response given out by the confederates.
Control Group. It refers to the group that includes no group pressure or no employment of
confederates.
Experimental Group. It refers to the group where group pressure is applied through the aid of
confederates.
Group Pressure. It is applied by assigning a reasonable number of confederates in the
experiment who will purposely give the most unacceptable moral response each time a
situational question is posed.
Experimental Group.
Juvenile Delinquency. It refers to various socially unacceptable acts such as stealing, fighting
and substance abuse.
14
Moral Judgment. It is measured by the number of times the participant in the experimental
group conforms to the response of the confederates or chooses the morally wrong response in the
control group.
Moral Themes. These refer to the various moral dilemmas or issues that the adolescents are
commonly involved with. The most critical themes are drug use, suicide, premarital sex and
discrimination while the least critical are smoking, parental disobedience, stealing, cheating and
vandalism.
Moral Vignettes. This is the main research instrument utilized in the study, which consists of 12
situational questions, 9 of which are critical items or the important moral questions that serve as
the basis for measuring the moral judgment, and 3 of which are non-critical items that do not
affect the measure of moral judgment.
Peers. It refers to adolescents who are of the same age or maturity level.
Wrong Set of Moral Values. It refers to moral values or principles that are unacceptable by the
society or those that are deemed unfitting, inappropriate or unethical.
15
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents various foreign and local literature and studies which are
significantly related to the present study. The resources cited are used by the researchers to
acquire a greater understanding about the topics group pressure and moral judgment, specifically
in adolescents.
Related Literature
Foreign
In American Psychological Associations information resource entitled Developing
Adolescents: A Reference for Professionals (2002), there is no standard definition of adolescent
as of the moment. Associating the term with specific age range is but only one of the ways to
define it. It may also be defined as the period of time from the onset of puberty until an
individual achieves economic independence. In the said information resource, adolescents are
referred to individuals aged 10 to 18. According to Arnett, this developmental stage is commonly
viewed as a negative stage of life a period of storm and stress to be survived or endured
(APA, 2002).
Adolescence is the foundation for adulthood. Adult moral character is shaped in this
developmental stage. Lawford and colleagues suggested that young adults who are more socially
aware and responsible for others are those who had good interpersonal relationships with their
parents and community. Furthermore, adolescence is a distinct stage from childhood because
moral character can be transformed between these two stages. Most adolescents spend more time
16
with their peers than their parents which may account for the stronger influence from the former.
It is also this fact that affirms the contribution of peers on the sustenance of delinquency on
adolescence period. Other factors such as entry to large schools, world of work and romantic
relationships also add to the challenges, opportunities and influences on the moral life of
adolescents (Hart and Gustavo, 2005).
Moral development refers to thoughts, behaviors and feelings which are based from
standards of right and wrong. Piaget noted that adolescents are autonomous thinkers in terms of
morality, that is, they acknowledge that society sets the rules and laws that they need to observe
and in any action, they should consider the intentions and consequences of the actor. It is
important for children to develop a healthy way of moral thinking as they progress and a
supportive parenting is the foundation for this to succeed. Meanwhile, Kohlberg suggested that
most adolescents are conventional thinkers and they are in the stage where they value mutual
interpersonal expectations, relationships and interpersonal conformity. At this stage, the basis for
moral judgments is trust, caring and loyalty to others. The adolescent may adopt their moral
standards from their parents or peers (Santrock, 2007).
Moral development is the process of achieving a sense of values and ethical behavior and
the adolescents cognitive development is a foundation to acquire these. Adults may set as good
examples for the youth by showing altruistic and caring actions toward others. They assist in the
moral development of adolescents by encouraging them to speak their mind, express their own
beliefs and challenge them if necessary (APA, 2002).
Aside from biologically based processes, family and society, peers provide role-taking
opportunities and expose adolescents to new moral behaviors. They find moral dilemmas more
17
significant and challenging because the moral consequences become more personally concerned
to the self and to others (Hart and Gustavo, 2005).
A major criticism of Kohlbergs moral development theory is his emphasis for moral
thought and less on moral behavior. This implies that a person may be aware of what is right and
wrong yet still commit the latter (Santrock, 2007). In short, what you say or think may not be
necessarily what you feel or what you do although it is important to note that Kohlberg defined
moral judgment competence as the capacity to make decisions and judgments which are moral
and to act in accordance with such judgments (Lind, 2008).
Santrock mentioned that in the process of achieving emotional development, the
adolescent builds a realistic and consistent sense of identity in his social relationships, coping
with stress and management of emotions. According to Erikson, building a sense of identity is
the primary goal of an adolescent although in contemporary views, the formation of self-identity
is no longer exclusive to this developmental stage. Markus and Nurius have noted that identity is
not just how adolescents view themselves in the present, but also what they might become or
who they would like to become which they have defined at the possible self (APA, 2002).
The two concepts of identity are self-concept, which is how the adolescent views himself,
and self-esteem, which refers to how the adolescent feels about his self-concept. There are many
factors that influence the development of identity and self-esteem of adolescents. Most relevant
to the study is the influence of the opinions of other people, particularly parent and peers,
because adolescents may associate these in their self-concept and self-esteem (APA, 2002).
Self-esteem can be a factor to determine the degree of influence a group has over the
individual. Those with low self-esteem tend to have a low regard for their own abilities and when
they are engaged in a group that experiences a problem, an individual with low self-esteem is
18
more likely to accept the groups majority decision and believes it to be correct even if he thinks
otherwise. However, an individual with a high self-esteem and who believes that his own answer
to the problem is more correct may also agree with the groups conclusion to retain his
membership in the group. Kiesler and Kiesler distinguished these as private acceptance and
public compliance wherein the former means changing your own opinions completely and
believing the group consensus while the latter means agreeing publicly with the group but
disapproves in private. This explains why there are people who agree with the group decision
when asked in public but disagree when asked in private (Mott, 2005).
One of the earliest methods to measure morality is the so-called rule-conformity
definition where morality is defined through a list of things that should be done (right) and
avoided (wrong). Some cultures considered a person moral if his rule-conforming actions
outnumber his rule transgressions. This implies then that morality is measured by the number of
instances in which a person exhibited morally correct behavior and avoided morally wrong
behavior. The problem with this measure now is that as time goes on, the list of things that
people should do and dont grew longer until it was nearly impossible for a person to conform to
each rule unless one was a saint. Another method as a means to measure morality is the goodintentions definition which places strong regard for the persons moral intentions as the only
indicator of morality and not the rule-conforming behavior. A person is morally good if he
possesses morally good intentions or values, motives or principles. Eventually, a dual-aspect
theory of morality was constructed which defines moral behavior in terms of two aspects namely
the affection for certain moral ideals or principles and the ability to reason and act according
to these ideals and principles. This theory implies that juvenile delinquents who believe that
stealing is wrong but continue to do so and altruistic people who reach out to people for their
19
own satisfaction or ego cannot be both regarded as performing appropriate moral behaviors
(Lind, 2008).
Emotional development may differ for each adolescent depending on their orientation
and needs. A longitudinal research by Brown et al. showed that self-esteem is decreased in
female adolescents and the patterns vary for different ethnic groups. Several studies also
conclude that male adolescents have higher global self-esteem, which refers to how adolescents
accept their perceived selves as a whole, than females. Pollack and Shuster, in their study,
discussed that adolescent girls may find it difficult to become more assertive or expressive of
anger thus identifying the need to incorporate those in their identity formation while adolescent
boys may need to establish cooperative relationships rather than competitive and recognize their
need to express freely other emotions other than anger (APA, 2002).
One of the most easily observable changes in adolescence is that the focus shifts from the
family to peers. This is to enable adolescents to achieve greater independence which means
associating themselves with their peers to a greater degree. It is important for parents to
understand that this does not mean that they are less important for their children but they should
acknowledge the new focus on peers as a crucial and healthy stage in their childrens
development. Parents must also be educated about the importance of positive peer relationships.
Peer groups provide different roles throughout adolescence, one of which to serve as temporary
reference point for the development of sense of identity. According to Bishop and Inderbitzen,
adolescents identification with their peers enables them to develop moral judgment and values.
Santrock noted that peer groups also provide information about what exists outside the
adolescents family and about themselves. Peer groups are also powerful reinforcers because
they serve as sources of popularity, status, prestige, and acceptance (APA, 2002).
20
Conformity happens when adolescents adopt the attitudes or behavior of others because
of real or imagined pressure from them. Peer pressure is a dominant theme in the adolescents
lives and its power can be found in almost every aspect of the adolescents behavior such as their
clothing style, music, language, hobbies and even values which in turn may affect the distortion
of their moral judgment. Such pressure may also have positive impacts such as driving
adolescents to engage in prosocial activities (Santrock, 2007).
Conformity has several varieties such as compliance, obedience and acceptance. When
we conform to an expectation by doing something that we do not really believe, it is compliance.
When we comply with anothers demand, usually a superior or authority, by performing an
action that seeks to acquire a reward or avoid a punishment, it is obedience. If we exercise a
behavior that many others do because we believe it to be true, it is acceptance (Myers, 2008).
Conformity may also describe the degree to which an individual will change his or her
behavior in order to be accepted into a group. According to Lumbert, there are five main
motivations that cause conformity, namely correctness, social acceptance, group goals, social
identity and alignment with similar people. People conform because they perceive a reduced fear
of negative consequences if they align their behavior to their group. It is possible that when the
individual is no longer in the group, he will resume to his previous behavior (Mott, 2005).
Acceptance by peers has significant indications for adjustment not only during
adolescence but also into adulthood. Positive peer relations during adolescence are associated
with positive psychosocial adjustment. Several studies show that adolescents who are accepted
and have mutual friendships have healthier self-images and perform better in school while
adolescents who feel socially isolated are linked to various problematic behaviors such as
delinquency. A study by Hansen et. al. found that adults who encountered problems in their
21
interpersonal relationships during adolescence are at greater risk for psychosocial crisis in their
adulthood. The extent to which adolescents involve themselves with peer groups changes over
the course of adolescent. According to studies by Mucucci and Santrock, younger adolescents
typically have the intense desire to belong to a particular group can influence young adolescents
to along with activities in which they would otherwise not engage. This implies that adolescents
need adults who can help them endure peer pressure and find alternative peer groups. During
middle adolescence, there seems to be less conformity to peer groups and there is more
recognition of individual differences in appearance, beliefs and feelings. During late
adolescence, one-on-one friendships and romances replace peer groups and the adolescents have
matured (APA, 2002).
Studies by Resnick et al., Klein and Perry suggested that a strong sense of bonding,
closeness and attachment to the adolescents family are linked with better emotional
development, better school performance and engagement in fewer high-risk activities. Parents
who are affectionate and involved, who are firm with rules and impose reasonable limits, who set
appropriate expectations and who encourage their children to develop their own beliefs appear to
be the most effective in parenting practices. Studies show that children who came from this kind
of parenting tend to be achievers in school, show low levels of depression and anxiety and are
less likely involved in delinquent behaviors and drug abuse. However, supervision of parents to
promote healthy development of adolescents may differ depending on the environment which
also may influence the adolescents. According to Steinberg, disputes between parent-adolescent
relationships may increase, particularly between females, as this assist the adolescents to be
independent from their parents while maintaining connected with them (APA, 2002).
22
According to Ponton, risk taking in adolescence is important because it shape their

identities, lets them try out new decision-making skills and develop realistic assessment of
themselves, other people and the world. Hamburg and Dryfoos added that such behaviors are
normal for adolescents because they need room to experiment and to experience the
consequences of their own decision making in different situations. Jaffe noted that to avoid
rejection of peers, adolescents will sometimes take risks even they themselves judge to be too
risky. However, adolescents do not all think the same and may possess different reasons for
engaging in risky behavior. A study by Kann et al. indicates that in 1999, 72% of all deaths
among individuals aged 10 to 24 years in the United States are the result of only four accounts:
31% are due to motor-vehicle crashes, 18% homicide, 12% suicide and 11% from other
unintentional injuries. A study by Moore et al. shows that in 2000, almost one-half million
teenage girls gave birth. The US government attributes these to more free unsupervised time,
particularly in the afternoon, compared with older generations which causes parents to worry
about what trouble their children can involve themselves at these hours. According to Snyder and
Sickmund, it is the time at the end of the day when adolescents are at greater tendency to become
a victim of a violent crime, like robbery or assault. A study by Lee in 2000 reported that 70% of
high school students have tried cigarette smoking, and 25% of them have tried it before the age
of 13. Additionally, one-quarter of high school students smoke at least one cigarette per day,
with male students smoking more than females. 81% of high school students have tried alcohol
and 32% of them had tried drinking for the first time before the age of 13. Furthermore, girls
ages 12 to 18 are now as likely as boys to drink alcohol. 47% of high school students have tried
using marijuana, with 11% of them tried it for the first time before the age of 13. 9% of high
school students have tried some sort of cocaine with 4% of them have used more than once in the
23
past 30 days. Other studies indicate that approximately 36% of high schools students have
engaged in a physical fight once or several times during the 12 months, with male students
(44%) outweighing the females (27%). Approximately 9% of students were forced to have
sexual intercourse even when they did not want to. Half of all high school students have had
sexual intercourse, with 8% of them having had it before the age of 13 and 36% having had it
during the past 3 months. Approximately 25% of sexually active students used alcohol or drugs
during their last sexual intercourse (APA, 2002).
Elkind made a hypothesis which states that egocentrism is normal in adolescence and
adolescents generally feel a sense of immunity from harm and other negative consequences.
According to him, adolescents engage themselves in high risk behaviors because of this greater
sense of invulnerability. For Baumrind and Jessir, risk taking is a necessary element for a normal
adolescent development and that this can help adolescents to meet important developmental
achievements. It may assist adolescents to develop self-confidence, gain independence from
parents and other adults, acquire self-identity and achieve acceptance and respect from peers
(Haugaard, 2000).
Local
Adolescence is the developmental period lasting from roughly 11-18 years of age during
which traits whether biological, cognitive, behavioral or personality change from the childlike to the adult-like. There are three kinds of development in this developmental stage namely
growth, maturation and learning and four aspects or domains which are physical, intellectual,
socio-emotional and moral development. The moral development of children is more pronounced
when they enter school age as this is the time that they are more socially aware in terms of the
24
people and other things in their environment. They begin to develop emphatic orientation and
compassion and they become more sensitive to other peoples perception of them so the social
need for belongingness and acceptance inevitably comes in. Peer influence is intensified in many
areas in the childs life, such as fashion, language and even values and sexual orientation. Teens
are likely to encounter conflicts in the patterns, standards and values that their family imposes
and expects of them and those from their outside environment, such as their friends. The vital
conflict that an adolescent is tasked to succeed is to form an ego identity that is different from his
parents (BCBP, 2009).
In fact, the Philippines may be experiencing what is called a youth bulge. According to
the 2000 Census, 15.1 million adolescents in the country represent 19.7% of the total population.
In 2030, the total number of adolescents in the country was estimated to reach 30 million (DukePante, 2009).
In the Philippines, the terms dalagita and binatilyo in the Tagalog language means young
women and men, respectively. Such terms imply that they undergo through different changes
toward becoming dalaga and binata. Other terms that refer to adolescents are used in different
parts of the country and even in minority groups which usually reflect cultural identity and
diversity (Ogena, 2005).
No legal document defines adolescents but the definition for youth is age-graded.
According to the Youth in Nation Building Act of 1995 or RA 8044, the youth in the
Philippines are considered as those who are 15 to 30 years old. This is due to the different youth
definitions that government departments use (e.g. Department of Health: 10 to 24 years,
Department of Education: 7 to 30 years, Department of Labor and Employment: 15 to 24 years,
Council for the Welfare of Children: 1 to 18 years). Anyone below 21 years of age except those
25
emancipated in accordance with the law is considered a child or minor or youth. However, RA
7610, Section 12, states that the Age of Majority is 18 years old. Additionally, the considered
legal ages for regulated activities in the country vary such as issuance of a drivers license, the
right to vote, eligibility to run for office in the Sanguniang Kabataan and application for a
marriage license (Ogena, 2005).
Adolescence may be seen as a transition stage as it serves to be a distinct line from
childhood to adulthood. It is the period when an adolescent learns to adapt and adjust to the
many different changes and convert childhood behaviors to culturally acceptable adult forms
by developing values, attitudes and behavior. According to Hall, it is a period of storm and
stress. Adults, especially parents, and the media promote this generalization to provide a
convenient explanation for some adolescents emotional instability although there is actually no
scientific research that can offer convincing evidence to prove this and other dramatic changes in
intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships of the adolescent (Ogena, 2005).
According to Blos, adolescence is divided into five stages namely, Latency when
inhibition of sexual instincts is present; Early Adolescent when association with peers is
significant; Adolescent when romantic relationships are developed; Late Adolescent when self
identity is established and Post Adolescent when adult roles are adopted. It is in the early
adolescence when children adopt values that are in contrast with those of their parents. As a
consequence, juvenile delinquency or other problematic behaviors may arise since adolescents
no longer consider the views of their parents as absolutely correct. On the other hand, it is in
late adolescence that they are able to achieve a stable self-esteem and establish a sex-role identity
which will eventually lead to the development of a stable personality (Ogena, 2005).
26
Christianity, which is the religion of the majority in the Philippines, continues to hold its
articulated position over prohibitive acts such as engaging in premarital sex, promiscuity and
abortion. Adolescents who commit to such behaviors are expected to be stigmatized or looked
upon but as cases become more prevalent and popularized, especially among people whom
adolescents consider as role models such as famous celebrities and personalities, the stigma has
been watered down. As a result, the influence of religion on behavior of adolescents is
frequently becoming disputed (Ogena, 2005).
The moral values of adolescents appeared to have degenerated and social acceptance was
valued over moral principle. Many of the youth have considered social beliefs that were once
viewed as immoral and criminal Standards for right and wrong have become negotiable for
many young people. For one, age seemed to serve a role in determining the moral judgment
level of adolescents. Younger adolescents showed a lower judgment level. As their intelligence
quotient increased, moral judgment followed the trend. It was also suggested that a combination
of various parental orientation instead of a strict implementation of just one was more facilitative
in the advancement of their moral judgment (Conaco et al., 2003).
According to studies, one main characteristic that make teenagers distinct from adults is
that the latter are more drawn to the immediate rewards of a potential choice and are less
attentive to the possible risks. The second is they are still in the process of acquiring control of
impulses, thinking ahead the possible consequences of their actions and resisting pressure from
external environment. These things gradually develop throughout adolescence and educational
programs such as drug awareness help them to make the right decisions. When adolescents are
given enough time to think, they make fairly fast and precise judgments on their own but if they
are forced to make decisions in the heat of the moment especially in social situations, they
27
based their decisions usually from external sources, or things other than themselves, such as
peers. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded a study which involved teens playing a
video driving game under two conditions: alone or with friends watching. Results showed that
the teens took more risks in the video driving game when their friends are watching than if they
are playing alone. This implies that adolescents may find it hard to control risky and impulsive
behaviors when they are with friends (Aldanese, 2010).
Peer pressure is not necessarily a bad thing. Our peers influence us both positively and
negatively, even at any age. Peers play a larger role in a teenagers life which may signal
independence and less time for parents and siblings. There are times though that peer pressure is
hard not to acknowledge and a teenagers may feel compelled to commit things that they really
are not sure about, such as drug use (Aldanese, 2010).
Among the different domains of adolescence, physical and intellectual are the easiest to
attain while socio-emotional and moral lag behind because they are more complicated. A battle
rages in every adolescent: part of him wants to detach from his parents, yet another part wants to
retain all the comfort and security associated with emotional dependence on them. Most
adolescents felt the need to grow up immediately so they engage in common adult activities such
as smoking, drinking, romantic relationships and being sexually active among others just to be
able to say that they are old enough. In turn, hurrying can cause them terrible consequences
such as foreclosure into an inappropriate identity, regret for lost opportunities because of
unplanned pregnancy, unfinished formal education or early marriage. Because some conflict is
needed to resolve the task of ego formation in adolescents, parents must understand that a certain
degree of disobedience is normal during this stage. However, teens are at risk and still need
28
emotional and moral guidance from their parents, not to mention patience, communication and
unconditional love (BCBP, 2009).
Parents, peers, teachers and the society are the external sources of pressure that enable
adolescents to grow up. According to Coleman, these stresses do not take place simultaneously.
Adolescents only deal with one or two stressful occurrences to lessen the stress then continue to
deal with the other stressors afterwards. He also suggested that adolescence does not occur for
only a short period of time and it may last for ten or more years for other people. This stage is
not any more or less stressful than any other developmental stage. The majority of adolescents
still enjoy pleasant evolving changes in their development (Ogena, 2005).
Cultural variations in the view of adolescence also exist. For societies that hold puberty
rite ceremony or rite of passage, such developmental stage goes for an extremely brief period
of time, particularly from start to the end of the puberty rite. This rite of passage serves to
proclaim the end of childhood and the start of adulthood. Some cultural norms for acceptable
behavior gender-wise may vary. Girls are usually expected to behave more like adults than boys
of the same age. The timing of maturation is also a factor that may determine the social
relationships of adolescents with their parents, teachers and peers. Children who mature early in
terms of physical development may often be seen to be likewise more mature than they really are
in terms of their social and emotional development. As a result, unreasonable and unrealistic
expectations are placed upon them and may bring enduring effects on their personality.
According to Medina, the onset of adolescence in the Philippines proceeds unnoticed except for
circumcision and voice change in boys and the onset of menstruation in girls although there are
additional biological markers that are used to characterize this developmental stage. Medina
further suggested that no rite of passage or any formal initiation exists to signify the shift from
29
childhood to adulthood in the Philippines. Filipino adolescence in general is not distinguished by

tension, rebellion and confusion as opposed to the parent-youth conflicts that are apparent in
Western culture (Ogena, 2005).
Adolescents are also members of social groups such as with their peers, community and
society. As they begin to identify themselves with a particular social group and participate in
their activities, they learn to realign their own views and activities with those who share their
interests, concerns and problems. The quality of their involvement in group activities determines
the degree of their commitment to the ideals supported by the social group. Adolescents who do
not involve themselves in any formal or informal social group also have model or reference
groups that influence their projection as unique human beings. Furthermore, membership or
attachment to social groups brings about a series of behavioral expectations (Ogena, 2005).
The peer group plays a role in promoting the values of loyalty, trust, commitment,
camaraderie, cooperation and drive for excellence through socialization. On the other side of the
coin, negative habits such as smoking, alcohol and drug use and sexual activities are learn
practically from the peer group as well. The absence of parental figure is what drives children to
rely on their peers not only for friendship and companionship but also for nurturance, intimacy,
security and guidance (Conaco et al., 2003).
For Filipino youth, the nuclear family is the most essential agent of socialization for
personality development. Psychological bonding is an important influence for the adolescents
development of self-identity. In case of the absence of family, which is the basic unit of society,
other formal group such as the school and the church may serve as the source of the adolescents
self-conceptions and values (Conaco et al., 2003).
30
Adolescents who live in more complex and industrialized societies experience more
strains and stresses than rural adolescents. The convenience of technological advancement and
globalization does not come without a price. The Filipino family as the primary agent of
socialization has now changed. The daily activities of adolescents are less supervised by their
parents as the thirst for independence grows. According to a focus group discussion with parents,
the range of adolescent activities requiring exclusive parental authorization in the past is fast
expanding. Parents no longer hold the authority over popular adolescent recreations such as
malling (Ogena, 2005).
A focus group discussion conducted with out-of-school-youths in Mandaluyong revealed
that they viewed todays adolescents as irresponsible, indifferent to their surroundings and
materialistic. The areas needing improvement among adolescents are respect for self and self
discipline. On a positive note, they think todays adolescents are self-determined. Another thing
that they have noted is the increasing independence that is now more prevalent in adolescence
(Ogena, 2005).
Related Studies
Foreign
The most relevant study was conducted by Mazhar and Kaiser to ascertain whether
adolescents conform to the moral judgment of a group with emphasis on gender differences. A
pre-test was first administered to obtain the private moral judgment of the participants who are
thirty-nine adolescents, twenty of whom are girls and nineteen are boys. In the experiment itself,
five confederates posed as group members and gave answers which were opposite to the
participants private judgment on seven out of ten moral dilemmas. The seven moral dilemmas
31
were themes about justice, mercy killing, shoplifting, obedience to parents, crime and
punishment, stealing and cheating. Upon analysis, 71.8% of the participants showed conformity
on at least one trial. It was noted that the boys conformed to their teachers more than their peers
while the girls showed the opposite. Both genders also showed a conformity rate of 100% on
written response as opposed to verbal response where boys conformed 56% of the time and girls
conformed 75% of the time. In general, no significance was found between conformity of the
females and males. Conformity occurred but not at significant levels except on 2 dilemmas
which were shoplifting and stealing. Furthermore, adolescents may conform to their peer group
in domains like dressing alike, listening to the same music, going to the same places but
probably only to this extent and perhaps in more serious issues like religious beliefs, principles
and moral values, peer influence does not easily affect them. The finding that participants
conformed significantly on dilemmas related to themes of friendship, loyalty and stealing, which
are probably the most relevant to their lives, further validates this (Mazhar and Kaiser, 2009).
Another study made by El-Tahch aimed to determine how college students perceive
their same-sex friends, as well as their own, participation in activities as a result of peer
pressure. The participants in the experiment were 54 Psychology students with a mean age of
19.31 who are also consisted of 21 males and 33 females. There were three independent
variables namely sex (male vs. female), situation (body image vs. alcohol use) and perspective
(self vs. friend). The dependent variable was the students estimates of likely conforming
behavior. The participants were given a survey that contained one of the two scenarios. The first
one was about problems of body images and the second one about alcohol use. The participants
were asked to rate themselves on a scale from 1 (not at all likely) to 5 (very likely) on how likely
they think they would have given in to peer pressure if placed in the same scenario. Next, they
32
were asked to rate their closest same-sex friend using the same scale on how likely they think
their friend would have given in to peer pressure if placed in the same scenario. Results showed
that the participants rated themselves as less likely to give in to peer pressure as compared to
their closest same-sex friend. A limitation on this experiment is that a 5-point scaled was used
and the participants still rated their friend below 3 or as low or not very likely. No other
significant differences were found. Three relevant concepts were derived from the experiment.
First, a self-serving bias was found wherein a person believes that he will perform in a more
appropriate manner than others in situations which are valuable to his self-esteem. Second, it
showed that college students possess an inaccurate perception of their performance in
scenarios involving peer pressure and conformity when asked to perceive the situation compared
to when they are actually engaged in the situation. Third, the present study showed no significant
difference between the two sexes as opposed to past research which stated a significant sex
difference between the two scenarios of high-risk behavior (El-Tahch, 2009).
A longitudinal study conducted by Allen and colleagues assessed the adolescent
popularity, social adaptation and deviant behavior. Their sample was 185 adolescents aged 13 to
14 years that were gathered from a diverse community. Their hypothesis stated that popular
adolescents have higher levels of ego development, secure attachment and more adaptive
relationships with their mothers and best friends. Results of their research show that popular
adolescents were more likely to increase behaviors that receive approval in the peer group and
decrease behaviors unlikely to be well received by peers (Allen et. al, 2005).
Santor and colleagues attempted to develop and validate short measures of peer
pressure, peer conformity that may be administered quickly and efficiently to adolescent boys
and girls and to evaluate the degree to which these different constructs are related to well-being
33
and risk behaviors, such as substance use, delinquency, dating attitudes, sexual behavior and
poor school performance. A sample of 40 adolescent boys and 105 adolescent girls, aged 16 to
18 was taken. The population consisted of 70% White, 25% Black and 5% from other ethnic
groups. The participants were administered questionnaires in groups of 20 to 25 students in the
assigned testing areas with two research assistants who supervised the procedure. The
questionnaires contain different measures grouped into three: (1) peer pressure and related
measures, namely the Peer Pressure, Popularity Peer Conformity and General Conformity items;
(2) well-being measures, including measures of self-esteem and dysphoria; and (3) risk behavior
measures, including substance use, attitude towards sex and school performance. Peer pressure
and peer conformity serve as strong predictors for risk behaviors than measures that aim to
assess popularity, general conformity or dysphoria. The findings of their study suggest that (a) a
reliable measure can be obtained in young adolescent boys and girls in terms of peer pressure
and peer conformity and that this measure can be acquired with substantially fewer items than in
existing measures; (b) there is a strong relationship between perceived peer pressure and a need
to be popular but were not enough predictors of risk behaviors and psychosocial difficulties
compared to the peer pressure and peer conformity vignettes. This supports the idea that doing
things to appear popular to others may be less of a risk factor than the experience of being
pressured by peers to behave in certain ways; and (c) more risk factors were linked with peer
pressure and peer conformity than measures of depressed mood or dysphoria. In sum, peer
pressure and peer conformity are potentially greater risk factors than a need to be popular, and
that both of peer pressure and conformity can be measured with short scales suitable for largescale testing (Santor et al., 2000).
34
A comprehensive study made by Steinberg and Monahan assessed age differences and
developmental change in resistance to peer influence through the use of a new self-report
instrument that separates susceptibility to peer pressure from willingness to take part in antisocial
activity. The sample consisted of 3,600 males and females who were aged between 10 and 30.
Results show that resistance to peer influences increases linearly between ages 14 and 18. There
is little evidence for growth in this capacity between 10 and 14 or between 18 and 30. Middle
adolescence is an especially significant period for the development of the capacity to stand up for
what one believes and resist the pressures of ones peers to do otherwise (Steinberg and
Monahan, 2007).
Local
Abad and colleagues attempted to understand and describe the buntog phenomenon to
develop appropriate responses to address the issue among adolescents. Buntog behavior is
known as free sex and is recently becoming popular among the youth which has caused
considerable alarm in adults. The respondents of the study consist a sample of 25 young male
and female buntogs, aged 13 to 18 and residing in Davao City as of the time the study was
conducted. 48% of them are aged 15-16, 40% are 17-18 and 12% are 13-14. The male buntogs
represent 68% of the total sample while 32% are females. For their educational attainment, 68%
finished elementary school, 28% are currently studying in high school and 4% are out-of-school.
Majority of the respondents are Catholics, who represent 68% of the total sample while 32% are
Muslims. With regard to vices, 100% of the respondents are engaged in cigarette smoking as
their vice, 96% drink alcohol as a vice, 96% are addicted to prohibited drugs and 72% go to
discos. Several procedures were employed to gather data such as random surveys, focus group
35
discussions, case studies and informal interactions. When asked about the influences on their
sexual behavior, 84% answered that their peer group was the major source, 76% answered
television, 44% were influenced by magazines, 24% by the radio, 24% school and 8% family.
Some of the significant information gathered from the focus group discussions are as follows:
Adolescent and the teenage years in general is usually the time when young people seek
independence from their families by associating more with their peers. The influence of the
family decreases and friends become the most influential factor in decision-making and lifestyle
choices. As a result, miscommunication arises between the parents and their children. Children
became more hesitant to discuss issues with their parents thinking that the latter would not
understand their feelings so they turn to their peers for support and help. Peer pressure becomes
strong because adolescents want to find out what they are capable of doing without the consent
and knowledge of adults. Peer and gangs provide structure and community, acceptance and
understanding. Most of the respondents have expressed feelings of guilt for their behavior but
they are pressured to commit things that they would not normally do. There seemed to be many
factors that influence the prevalence of buntog behavior among the youth namely childhood
sexual abuse, broken family structures, the media, imitation of observed adult lifestyles, lack of
availability of sex education and social and economic conditions although peer pressure
continues to be a strong source. The respondents reasoned out that their gangs pressured virgin
members by teasing and placing shame upon them to encourage their participation in a sexual
experience which they are not yet ready for. Other risk activities such as alcohol and drug use,
gang fights and unprotected sex may be the result of peer pressure. Buntog behavior may serve
as a stepping stone to prostitution although not all buntogs become prostitutes and not all
prostitutes were buntogs (Abad et al., 2001).
36
A comprehensive study by Cruz, Laguna and Raymundo attempted to (1) describe the
nature of Filipino adolescent lifestyle in terms of mass media consumption, engagement in social
behaviors and risk behaviors; (2) describe the familial context of the adolescent as a possible
determinant of adolescent lifestyle; (3) determine the correlates of distal, proximal and risk
behaviors of the adolescents particularly focusing on the role of family structure, family control
variables and parent-adolescent interaction process; and (4) identify the precursor variables to
adolescent risk behavior. Cruz and colleagues made use of the 1994 Young Adult Fertility
Study because the data offers an inexhaustible source of information allowing the scientific
study of several dimensions of adolescent social behavior. The said study was the first
representative sample of adolescents aged 15 to 24 in the country. In general, the welfare of the
Filipino adolescents is hoped to be improved by studying the protective and predisposing factors
to risk behaviors. As mentioned earlier, the lifestyle of the adolescents is defined by (a) mass
media consumption (e.g. exposure to television, radio, newspaper, comics, magazines,
pocketbooks and videos); (b) distal risk behavior, which refers to the social activities the
adolescents are engaged in three months prior to survey (e.g. going to parties, discos, excursions
or picnics, sports activities, movie houses and fraternity or sorority activities); (c) proximal risk
behavior; which refers to risky social behaviors the adolescents are engaged in three months
prior to survey (e.g. visiting massage parlors, spending the night out with friends, going to strip
shows or night clubs and beer houses); and (d) risk behaviors, which are smoking, drinking, drug
use, commercial sex and premarital sex. The background characteristics of the adolescents were
also studied: (a) individual characteristics, such as age, sex, marital status, marital status and
place of residence; (b) family interaction or relation, which refers to whether sex was ever
discussed at home; (c) family structure, which refers to the adolescents current living
37
arrangement and their perception regarding the stability of their parents marriage; and (d) family
control, which refers to the adolescents impression of parents level of strictness, impression of
parents attitudes towards smoking, drinking and early marriage and whether their family prays
together. The findings of the research were as follows: (a) Family interaction on sensitive issues
such as sex is limited. Only 14.8% of the adolescents responded that they ever discussed sex at
home; (b) Emerging patterns of family configuration challenge traditional family structure.
75% of the adolescents claimed that their parents marriage is stable; (c) Fathers are more
restrictive than mothers and greater restraints are applied on daughters than sons. Additionally,
only 36.1% of the adolescents prayed regularly together as a family; (d) Adolescents are proven
to be major consumers of the mass media although the preference for the different mass media
types vary; (e) An average Filipino adolescent is socially restrained. 51.1% of the respondents
claimed that they have not engaged in any of the six social activities; and (f) A sizeable
proportion of Filipino adolescents had engaged in social behaviors that have risky influences.
54.4% have ever tried an alcoholic beverage, 33.33% have ever tried smoking, 5.7% drug use,
7.6% commercial sex and 17.9% premarital sex. The findings finally suggested that the Filipino
family, which is the primary social group of the adolescent, is showing initial traces of stress
which may be due to the absence of parenting and an unstable marital relationship. As a result,
peers and mass media served as more important influences on the values of adolescents (Cruz et
al., 2001).
Frias conducted a study that aimed to explore the role of family and peer group on the
risk behavior of Central Luzon adolescents. Included here are the relationship between living
away from home, parental permissiveness, family stability, family structure, peer activity and
association with a sexually experienced friend and the adolescents involvement in premarital
38
sex, smoking, drinking or drug use and violence and suicide ideation. The data obtained from the
Youth Adult Fertility and Sexuality Surveys of 2002 was utilized in the study. The sample was
composed of 1,266 respondents, aged 15 to 24 and who represented 7.53% among almost 20,000
young Filipinos in Central Luzon. The findings of the research showed that the consequences of
the family and peer groups role were exhibited through the youths attitude, self-esteem and
value system which in turn influenced their choice to engage in risk behavior. It was found that
older adolescents and the males were more likely to be involved with early sexual relationships
and that peer influence posed as a significant risk factor in the adolescents likelihood to
premarital sex compared to familial factors which had no significant effect. Older adolescents
and males were also more likely to commit to other risk behavior such as smoking, drinking and
drug use than females and younger adolescents. In this case, the influence of the peer group and
a sexually experienced friend were also strong predictors. Older adolescents and males were also
more inclined to engage in violence which could be attributed to family instability, association
with a sexually experienced friend and low self-esteem. In sum, the peer group has significant
effect on all risk behaviors and that the family may play a role in the risk behavior of adolescents
by indirectly molding their value system, self-esteem and attitude which in turn may or may not
encourage them from engaging in such behavior (Frias, 2007).
According to a follow-up study made by Cruz and Raymundo in 2004, the population of
Filipino adolescents poses a great health concern not only because of their big number but also of
their vulnerability to risk-taking behaviors. Findings showed that among the 15 to 24 year-old
age group, 21% are engaged in smoking, 42% in drinking and 2.8% in drug use. Other research
studies such as that by Gastardo-Conaco and colleagues have emphasized the role of peers in the
health and development of adolescents, particularly in a negative road. The need to belong in a
39
peer group was seen as the primary reason why most adolescents start drinking alcohol and use
prohibited drug. A study by Duke-Pante was conducted to identify how peers could be the source
of positive influence and a part of the adolescents health support system. Specifically, it
aimed to describe the operation of health education through peer approach in a community
setting and it seek to find out the following: (1) development of resistance skills on drugs; (2)
the relational strategies utilized by the peer educators and peer students; and (3) the
communication patterns observed between peer educators and peer students. The study was
conducted in a barangay in Casiguran, Sorsogon which consisted of a population of 30,376 with
the 1 to 19 age bracket representing 60% or the majority as of 2005. 61% of the population were
14 years old below, 30% were 15 to 35 years old and 9% were 36 years old and above. The
dominant language is Bicol and the main source of livelihood is farming. The community was
chosen because of its high incidence of drug abuse among adolescents as evidenced by police
record, accessibility, support of key leaders in the community and the willingness of the target
adolescents to take part in the study. The 12 target adolescents were required to be aged between
13 to 16 years old, available at least twice a week, committed to a three-month program, willing
to attend a five-day training session and serve as a role model in the community. Results showed
that the peer program was able to develop different ways such as cold shoulder, broken
record, changing the subject and refusing without second thought for resisting inappropriate
behavior. The development of resistance skills through the peer approach revitalizes local
culture, strengthened kinship ties and deepened appreciation of the local language as a
medium of learning. Training young people to be catalysts of change is an important step in
empowering the community (Duke-Pante, 2009).
40
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the method used in the study. It includes the research design
employed, the nature of the participants, the sampling technique applied, the data-gathering
procedure utilized and the statistical treatment of data.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
The study made use of an experimental design, particularly a two-independent groups

design. All students of the population were selected as participants. Randomization was applied
to determine the two groups and assign each participant to either of the two conditions. As the
consent letter was distributed to the participants, their profile information such as age and sex
was also acquired. The main research instrument, the Moral Vignettes, was presented to measure
the effect of the independent variable, which was group pressure. A single-blind experiment was
implemented, that is the participants were not disclosed of the true nature of the study, to
preserve the validity of results. After the experiment was done, the participants were debriefed
by utilizing a social networking site where details such as results of the study were disclosed.
The participants were also offered the option to access further details of the study. The data
gathered served as valuable information the researchers can study and use as basis for discussion.
41
LOCALE
The study was conducted at Trinity University of Asia in Quezon City which is
comprised of 5,592 students as of the time the study is made. The College of Computer Science
is composed of 153 students, 20 of which are regular juniors enrolled in Bachelor of Science in
Computer Science.
PARTICIPANTS AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
There were twenty (20) participants for the study who are third-year regular students of
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science of Trinity University of Asia in Quezon City. The
participants have a mean age of 19.25 which implies that they are currently in the developmental
stage of adolescence. As it has been discussed at the introduction, conformity with ones peer
group is strongest during adolescence (Steinberg, 2007) thus making the population selected as
appropriate for the study. For the participants sex population, 70% are male and 30% are
female.
All regular third year Bachelor of Science in Computer Science students of the
aforementioned school were gathered for the experiment. Random sampling was employed to
distinguish the two groups and assign each participant to each condition.
42
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
The main instrument that was used in the study is the Moral Vignettes. The Moral
Vignettes were constructed by the researchers and adapted from several literature.
The Moral Vignettes consisted of twelve (12) items of which nine (9) are critical and
three (3) are non-critical to add credibility to the experiment. These referred to situations that
adolescents commonly experience and affect their moral reasoning. The vignettes were created
by studying the facts gathered from different sources such as Developing Adolescents by
American Psychological Association, Adolescence by Santrock and Problematic Behaviors in
Adolescence by Haugaard. Each vignette posed a dilemma that tested out the moral judgment of
the participants, such as suicide, stealing, cheating and drug use. Each dilemma was followed by
two (2) close-ended responses such as Yes and No.
A complete sample of the Moral Vignettes can be viewed in the appendix. The
presentation of the Moral Vignettes in the experiment lasted for about five (5) minutes for each
participant in the experimental group and about three (3) minutes for each participant in the
control group with a total time of two (2) hours and forty (40) minutes.
The consent letter for the participants was also used to gather personal information such
as age and sex, thus was also considered as a research instrument. The letter can be viewed in the
appendix.
A laptop (Sony VGN-CR13M/B) presented the Moral Vignettes on its screen that was
positioned immediately in front of the participant. Pens and paper were used by the participants
to fill out their personal information.
43
DATA-GATHERING PROCEDURE
The researchers requested for the approval of the Dean of College of Computing and
Information Sciences to conduct the study on its students and the Dean of Arts and Sciences to
use one of the colleges laboratory rooms for the experiment. After permission was received,
letters were distributed to the participants to obtain their consent to take part in the experiment.
Included in the letter were the instructions that have to be followed, the rules that should be
observed, the purpose of the experiment and other details they should be aware of. Also included
was personal information such as age and sex that needed to be filled out. After consent was
expressed, the researchers proceeded to conduct the study on the participants most convenient
schedule. The single-blind experiment was held at the informed venue and date. All participants
were gathered in one room near the room where the actual experiment was conducted and each
participant were called one-by-one at the experiment room. Participants for the experimental
group were called in first. In the experiment room, four (4) confederates were already seated in a
semi-circle and the participant was always asked to take the last seat. The experimenter
explained that the aim of the activity was to determine the different personality traits of third
year Trinity University of Asia students by presenting twelve (12) situational questions. The
participant was instructed to respond orally by choosing from the two (2) response options
available for each moral dilemma that was presented on the laptop screen. The confederates have
already planned beforehand to give the most unacceptable answer between the two (2) response
options for the nine (9) critical items and a random answer for the three (3) non-critical items.
The participant was always prompted to give the last response to each moral dilemma. Each
finished participant was not allowed to go back to the previous room where unfinished
44
participants were held to prevent them from disclosing the details of the experiment. After all
participants for the experimental group were done, the participants for the control group were
called in one-by-one. In the experiment room, the participant was asked to seat in front of the
laptop screen where the moral dilemmas were presented. Same instructions were given by the
experimenter, only this time no confederates were present in the room. Finished participants
were given thanks and told that results of the experiment will be disclosed in a few days. After
two days, the participants were debriefed through a social networking site and given full
disclosure regarding the details of the study.
TREATMENT OF DATA
After the researchers have gathered data from the participants, they were analyzed using
the t-test (for independent groups) to compare the means. The following formula was used:
Where:
= mean of group 1
= mean of group 2
SS
= sum of squares of group 1
SS
= sum of squares of group 2
= sample size of group 1
= sample size of group 2
45
CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the findings, analysis and interpretation of the acquired data. These
are introduced in tabular and textual form.
Table 4.1
Moral Judgment of the Participants With and Without Group Pressure
Participant
With Group Pressure

Score
Percentage
100
Participant
Without Group Pressure

Score
Percentage
11.11
77.78
33.33
44.44
22.22
44.44
22.22
22.22
55.56
44.44
44.44
44.44
77.78
22.22
22.22
44.44
10
88.89
10
11.11
Table 4.1 shows that the participants in the experimental group where group pressure was
applied generally acquired higher scores of moral judgment than the control group where group
46
pressure was not present. Note that moral judgment is defined by the number of times the
participant conforms to the morally wrong response of the group. Scores of participants who
were under group pressure vary greatly from 22% level of conformity to as great as 100%. This
may imply that other personal factors may have an effect on the moral judgment aside from
group pressure. Nonetheless, the figures denote that group pressure led to higher scores of moral
judgment and absence of group pressure resulted in lower scores.
Table 4.2
Mean Score and Percentage of Moral Judgment With or Without Group Pressure
With Group Pressure
(N = 10)
(N = 10)
Mean Score
5.2
2.3
Mean Percentage
57.78%
25.55%
Table 4.2 shows the mean score and percentage of moral judgment of the participants
when group pressure was applied and when it was not. The figures denote that adolescents chose
the morally wrong responses around 58% of the time when under group pressure and only
around 26% when under no such pressure.
47
Table 4.3
Summary of Findings in the Two-Independent Group Design
Computed t
Critical Value
Level of
df
Decision
18
Reject Ho
Significance
3.26
2.101
.05
Table 4.3 shows that upon statistical analysis using the t-test under a .05 significant level
of difference, it was found that the obtained value, which is 3.26, is greater than the tabled value,
which is 2.101. The researchers further reject the null hypothesis and conclude that group
pressure affects moral judgment.
Table 4.4
Mean Percentage of Moral Judgment According to Moral Theme
Moral Theme
With Group Pressure
Vandalism
80%
10%
Cheating
70%
40%
Stealing
20%
0%
Parental Disobedience
50%
10%
Smoking
70%
80%
Discrimination
70%
50%
Premarital Sex
50%
40%
Suicide
60%
0%
48
Drug Use
50%
0%
Table 4.2 shows the mean percentage of moral judgment or the conformity of the
participants to the morally wrong responses of the group to the nine (9) themes presented in the
Moral Vignettes. Under group pressure, conformity is greatest on the first presented moral
theme, which is vandalism (80%), followed by cheating (70%), smoking (70%) and
discrimination (70%). The least conformed moral theme is stealing (20%). Moral judgment was
decreased on all moral themes when group pressure was not applied except for smoking (80%),
where moral judgment was even greater than the former condition. This implies that adolescents,
when under peer pressure, are more likely to vandalize property to get revenge, cheat on exams
to pass, smoke cigarette to prevent peer rejection and allow people to discriminate others by
avoiding confrontation. They are also most likely to smoke or approve of others smoking even
without pressure from their peers. On the other hand, adolescents are least likely to steal things
even when their peers encourage them to.
The findings of the study indicate that group pressure or influence is a factor that
adolescents consider when making a moral judgment. Numerous studies were conducted to
prove that peer pressure has tremendous effect on the way children behave as seen in their
hobbies, music preferences, clothing tastes and other interests but only few on those that aim to
determine if it also affects peoples moral decisions. Unfortunately, group pressure may
influence adolescents to commit socially unacceptable acts such as cheating, discrimination,
premarital sex, suicide and drug use. The good news is that this same group pressure may serve
as a good influence to adolescents if utilized properly. Common examples of ways that involve
beneficial group pressure are the efforts of prosocial activities such as organized sports,
49
organized nonsport activities, volunteer and religious activities that promote belongingness and
self-esteem needs for the adolescent. Children who surround themselves with a supportive and
morally-conducive environment are more likely to have inculcated good values and traits that
enable them to behave according to the norms of the society and may continue to do so even
when faced with negative group pressure later on in their lives. One thing that is hard to
determine in the study is whether adolescents only think of committing the morally
unacceptable acts in their heads, as Kohlberg termed as moral thought, or will actually perform
these wrong behaviors in real-life setting when their peers urge them to, which Kohlberg referred
to as moral behavior (Lind, 2008).
The adolescents increased moral judgment for smoking suggests that they are already
exposed to smoking as part of their culture. Moral judgment for vandalism significantly dropped
when group pressure was not applied which implies that the effect of group pressure is the
strongest at the beginning of the experiment or at the first question. Stealing got the lowest moral
judgment score under group pressure, which suggests that the adolescents place strong value on
taking away things that are not ones belongings. Group pressure can be felt the greatest on
suicide and drug use, the two most critical themes moral-wise, where conformity dropped
significantly to none when group pressure was absent. This suggests that such moral themes are
viewed with utmost concern and moral respect. Vandalism and parental disobedience, which
were considered as part of the least critical moral themes also got the second lowest conformity
level when group pressure was eliminated. Lastly, premarital sex, which was once considered a
taboo, scored a half on the conformity level which suggests that adolescents are more open to
this kind of issues than they used to in the past decades.
50
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
Based on the analysis and interpretation of data, the findings obtained are the following:
1. The adolescents under group pressure got a mean score on moral judgment of 5.2 or
conformed to the morally wrong responses of the group at 57.78% of the time while the
adolescents under no group pressure got a mean score on moral judgment of 2.3 of conformed to
the morally wrong responses of the group at 25.55% of the time which implies that group
pressure may be a strong influence on the response of the adolescents. The obtained value from
the t-test for independent groups is 3.26 and is higher than the tabled value which is 2.101. The
null hypothesis is rejected.
2. When group pressure was applied, adolescents exhibited the strongest moral judgment for
moral themes vandalism (80%), cheating, smoking and sexism (70%) which implies that they are
more likely to agree and perform these acts in the presence of a group that favors them. Moral
judgment was the weakest for stealing (20%) which implies that adolescents are very less likely
to commit stealing even when a group encourages this. This may because they hold a strong
regard for the act of stealing and view it as a grave moral sin. When group pressure was not
applied, adolescents showed the strongest moral judgment at 80% for only one moral theme
which is smoking. This implies that smoking plays a great part in the adolescents culture which
may be the influence of industrialization, media and stressful lifestyle among other factors. The
adolescents showed 0% moral judgment for stealing, suicide and drug use. Stealing is considered
51
as one of the least critical moral themes while suicide and drug use are the most critical among
all themes. This suggests that adolescents choose on their own some morally wrong responses
and have more tolerance for other acts such as smoking (80%), sexism (50%), cheating and
premarital sex (40%), but still view strong moral issues such as suicide and drug use with high
regard.
Conclusions
Based on the summary of findings, the conclusions drawn are the following:
1. Group pressure affects the moral judgment of adolescents.
2. Moral judgment for the different themes varies. Under group pressure, moral judgment is
highest on vandalism, cheating, smoking and discrimination and lowest on stealing. Under no
group pressure, moral judgment is high only on smoking and lowest on stealing, suicide and drug
use.
Recommendations
In line of the conclusion, the following recommendations are offered:
1. The participants of the study and adolescents in general may develop more resistance to
negative peer pressure by becoming more informed youth through reading and eagerness for
knowledge and associating themselves with positive peer groups and worthwhile activities
that promote a healthy value system.
2. The government and allied health professionals may develop countermeasures and programs
that target to decrease the prevalence and acceptance of smoking into our culture especially
on adolescents; teachers may become stricter in implementing an anti-cheating or antiNikki Angeli Sarmiento, October 2010
52
plagiarism rule inside the classroom; and parents may promote values like respect for all
human beings, regardless of their gender, race and social status, to their children.
3. Other researchers who are interested in the same topic may conduct:
a. An experimental study that could determine the effect of group pressure and size on
moral judgment of adolescents.
b. An experimental study that could determine the effect of group pressure and gender
on moral judgment of adolescents.
c. An experimental study that could determine the effect of group pressure on other age
brackets, especially an older population.
d. An experimental study that could determine the effect of group pressure on moral
judgment of adolescents with a larger and more representative sample.
e. A correlational study that could measure the significance between self-esteem and
conformity which could be used as a basis to conduct an experimental study on the
effect of group pressure on moral judgment of adolescents.
f. An experimental study that could determine the effect of group pressure on moral
judgment of adolescents with presentation of real-life scenarios as a measure of moral
behavior.
4. The school may design, organize and implement programs and services that will instill,
uphold and preserve good values and attitude for its students and the succeeding generations
to come.
5. Students may strengthen their parental ties and enrich their relationships with peers while
they value their morals and do what is the most appropriate with regard to other people.
53
6. Adolescents in general may choose their peer groups wisely and set as right example for their
friends who choose morally wrong decisions in life.
7. Parents may get more involved with their childrens lives, granting them enough autonomy
and independence to cultivate initiative and productivity while setting reasonable limits and
restrictions that will shape their good values and morals.
8. The society may develop more concern for others and be socially aware of what is happening
to our surroundings.
9. Psychologists who concentrate on adolescence may continue to make researches that will
help construct methods to boost the adolescents self-esteem and lead them to more
productive and happier lives.
10. The government may implement free programs and/or seminars for the youth that will tackle
the strong influence of peer pressure on their psychosocial development and assist them in
developing healthier interpersonal relationships.
54
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Effect of Group Pressure on Moral Judgment

Nikki Angeli Sarmiento, October 2010