Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Peer and community pressure refers to the influence exerted by friends or members of a community that encourages individuals to conform to certain behaviors or beliefs.
Related terms
Conformity: Conformity is the tendency to adjust one's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors in order to match those of a group.
Social Norms: Social norms are unwritten rules within a society that dictate acceptable behavior.
Groupthink: Groupthink occurs when a group makes faulty decisions due to pressures for conformity within the group.