Change in Peer’s Behaviour and the Model of Punctuated Organizational Change: Using Smoking and Driking As an Example

Presenter: Christy Pu, BNHI, Taiwan

Abstract

Rationale: Traditional research on peer effect argues that individuals in an environment such as neighborhood or school are themselves more likely to engage in behaviours that are prevalent in such environment. We on the other hand, argue that individuals are like firms and are likely to observe changes in the environment rather than the constant surroundings around them.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to investigate how adolescents cope with changes in the average behavior of their peer groups using the model of punctuated organizational change, using smoking and drinking as an example.

Methodology: The data (n=1681) used came from the Youth Project, a longitudinal panel survey conducted by the Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Wave 1 (2000) and wave 4 (2003) were used. The subject was asked to name 3 best friends in wave 1, and was asked for their smoking/drinking behavior. The same question was asked again in wave 4. This variable is constructed to form a dichotomized variable. “Change” is coded 1 if the answers from wave 1 and wave 4 are inconsistent. We separated such changes by initiation and cessation of the smoking/drinking behavior. We modified Sastry’s (1997) model of punctuated organizational change, which incorporates pressure to change and ability to change. Propensity score matching with kernel matching method was used to control for possible differences between those with and without a peer group that changed its average smoking/drinking behavior. Since there are evidences that boys and girls tend to be affected by peers differently, and peer effect is closely related to self-esteem for adolescents, we thus also separated the analysis by gender and level of self-esteem. Self-esteem is measured using a self-reported question “Do you worry that you are not accepted by your friends?”, and the response is a five point Likert scale ranging from “very worry” to “not at all worry”.

Results: Change in peer groups’ average smoking/drinking behavior is positive and significant for cessation only, and not for initiation (OR=1.034, p<0.001). Adolescents belonged to the group with lower self-esteem were also more likely to be influenced by change in peer’s bwhavior. Finally, females are more affected by peer’s change in smoking/drinking (OR=1.04, p<0.001) than males.

Conclusion: Change in peer groups’ average behavior is important in influencing own behavior for adolescents. We conclude that change in peer groups’ average behavior is a persuasive message for adolescents. Instead focusing on peers’ behavior only, school anti-smoking or anti-drinking policies can target on changes in group behavior. Future research should focus on the mechanisms though which change in peer groups’ average behavior affects smoking and drinking behavior for adolescents.