Abstract
J. R. Harris's (1995) theory that peer influence plays a central role in shaping personality was tested from the data of the National Merit twin study (J. C. Loehlin & R. C. Nichols, 1976), by examining whether members of 839 late-adolescent twin pairs who shared more friends were more similar in personality than those who shared fewer friends. Ambiguity regarding the direction of effects was partially controlled by comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. Comparisons were made between the effect of peer overlap and similarity of parental treatment. These were made both for personality traits, as measured by the California Psychological Inventory, and for academic achievement, as measured by the subscale and total scores of the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. A number of the results were consistent with Harris's theory, although quantitatively the effects were not strong.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
