Teenage friendships affect health in adulthood and are linked to conformity vs individuality

There is a link between teenage friendships and adult health – and it depends of whether teenagers are impacted by conformity or individuality.

Teenagers want friendships, and they want to fit in with their friends – generally – and this is called ‘blending in’ or conformity. Conformity is both a pressure and a need. But what happens to individuality? Now scientists think blending in leads to better health in adulthood (Pacific Standard, August 21, 2015).

A study by University of Virginia psychologists in America, published in the journal, Psychological Science, finds that by a person’s mid to late 20s their health can be ‘robustly predicted’ by their adolescent experiences. Specifically, the quality (not quantity) of their friendships in their teenage years and their ‘pattern of acquiescence to social norms’ can determine their adult health. Remaining close friends with teenage buddies (instead of separating from the ‘pack’) has long-term implications for adult physical health.

Joseph Allen of UV said that ‘intense adolescent focus on forming and maintaining peer relationships may well result from an instinctive recognition that these relationships are linked to wellbeing.’

UV researchers studied 171 participants as a subset of a longitudinal study of adolescent peer influences. Each participant was assessed annually during five years from the ages of 13-17 years of age. Each year participants provided researchers the name of their closest same-sex friend (which could change from year to year). The participant and the friend were surveyed about the quality of their friendship and asked five questions abut ‘acquiescence to peer norms’ (i.e. conformity). The same 171 participants were contacted again at age 25 years, and for the following two years, to assess their physical and emotional health.

The results showed that the higher the perceived quality of their teenage friendship, the better the participants’ health 10 years later.

Researchers also found that the teenagers who were ‘allocentric’ had better health as an adult. Allocentric behaviour is ‘acting as a follower more than a leader, being low in assertiveness, and being readily influenced by peers.’

Researchers think that ‘the chronic stress of social isolation has been linked to an array of negative physiological changes.’ There is also stress for teenagers who want to be individual and also conform with their friendship group, without social isolation. Hence many teenagers put the desires of their peers as a higher priority than their own individual goals – or find like-minded groups where their individuality can shine.

Hence there is a fine balance between seeking autonomy (individualism) versus seeking conformity. Conformity vs individuality will be a challenge for many teenagers, and those who conform and are allocentric – non-assertive followers – will reap the health benefits in adulthood.

http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/find-friends-it-is-good-for-your-health

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