Social Pressure Research Articles

Conducting an Anti–Card‐Signing Campaign

Unless they are told of the disadvantages and the possible implications, employees tend to sign union cards due to peer pressure. Such pressure must be offset by their employer's efforts to prevent easily influenced employees from succumbing to the blandishments of union organizers and co‐employees. Therefore, developing an effective campaign to nip card signing in the bud is crucial. Sometimes, as union organizers see that the employer has mounted a strident campaign against card signing, and as those organizers’ attempts to obtain signed cards become increasingly difficult, they may decide not to file a petition for an election.

Exploring Children’s Journeys into the Youth Justice System from Multiple Perspectives: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

In order to contribute to research into youth crime prevention, the current study aimed to explore the experiences of children in conflict with the law prior to receiving their first caution or conviction. Participants were recruited at a Youth Justice Service and included five children working with the service, their five case managers, and two of their parents/guardians. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and timelines were used to support the children in sharing their experiences. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, which focuses on understanding how individuals experience the world and how they make sense of those experiences. Six group experiential themes were identified within the analysis. These consider the events leading up to offending and whether it could have been predicted, the extent to which the children felt supported, the effect of school practices, the impact of peer influences, difficulties with managing emotions, and the children’s readiness for change. Each theme is discussed and recommendations for practice and future research are considered. The importance of placing children’s experiences at the forefront of research is highlighted throughout.

The Influence of Social Competition and Maths Anxiety on Game Performance

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) uses serious games to deliver educational content. DGBL has the potential to aid children’s development of maths skills, providing educators with alternatives to traditional mathematics teaching. However, the efficacy of serious games can be affected by their attributes, including whether they are single or multi-player. While competition in a multi-player environment may enhance players’ interest and motivation, potential social pressure may lead to anxiety and affect performance. In maths education, there are additional challenges. Mathematics Anxiety (MA), the negative emotional response to mathematics, may interact with game features and impact players’ experience. This study assesses players' performance in a digital maths game called ’Seven Spells’ across two different game modes (vs. Human and vs. CPU), and it also investigates whether MA levels impacted players’ performance. 43 children from two classes in an Irish primary school participated in thisstudy. Each class played a different game mode of the ‘Seven Spells’ game, one group playing against computer-controlled characters (vs. CPU) and the other playing against their classmates (vs. Human). The game mechanics were identical between the two competition game modes. The children completed the modified Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) and a mathematics questionnaire before participating in the intervention, which included 4 sessions. They also participated in a focus group session at the end of the intervention. Data on their gameplay were collected throughout the first three sessions and analysed through multiple linear regression models to investigate possible connections between MA, maths knowledge, game modes and game performance. The results of the multiple linear regressions indicate that game performance was positively influenced by the duration of gameplay and the complexity of moves — measured by the number of moves and cards used — while being negatively affected by MA. However, a significant interaction between MA and the competition game mode was observed, suggesting that MA had a more pronounced negative impact on players in the vs. Human game mode compared to the vs. CPU game mode.

Prevalence and factors influencing substance abuse among secondary school students in Mbeya City, Tanzania

Background: Substance abuse among students has far-reaching social, religious, economic, health and demographic consequences, such as unplanned pregnancies, school dropouts, abortions, maternal and newborn mortality, infection risks and other psychological problems. Our study investigated the prevalence of substance abuse among secondary school students in Mbeya City, Tanzania. Methods: This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2021 among secondary students from Mbeya City, Tanzania. Students completed a self-administered substance use questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 343 students were requested to participate in the study. However, 300 agreed to indicate 87% response rate. 9.7% (n=59) reported substance use, primarily cannabis, 75% (n=225) and alcohol, 68% (n=204). Friends influenced substance use among 82.7% of users. Reported immediate effects included misbehaviour, 73.7% (n=221) and unprotected sex, 72.3% (n=217). Long-term harms were predominantly brain damage (86.7%). Community education (78%) and media campaigns (76.7%) were suggested to curb use. Conclusion: Substance abuse among a sizable minority of Mbeya City secondary school students is driven by peer influence and has detrimental impacts reported by students themselves. Comprehensive education and preventive strategies engaging families, schools and communities are recommended to address this critical youth issue. Keywords: Substance abuse; cannabis; alcohol; secondary school students; Tanzania.

Multi-pressure based environmental vulnerability assessment in a coastal area of Bangladesh: A case study on Cox’s Bazar

Bangladesh ranks among the top 10 countries globally in terms of climate change impacts and faces numerous anthropogenic and natural pressures. Cox’s Bazar, its primary tourist district, is experiencing severe degradation of its physical and ecological environments due to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. To improve its environmental quality and preserve its ecological resources effectively, it is essential to develop a spatial decision support instrument addressing multi-pressures and cumulative environmental vulnerability (EV). This study presents an expert opinion-independent, scalable, and customizable spatial methodological framework, integrating multi-sourced geospatial data with GIS-based Fuzzy Logic to assess spatial distributions of five pressure groups and their resulting EV in Cox’s Bazar. 18 criteria were chosen based on a structured literature review to evaluate the five pressure groups. Results revealed that 17 % to 27 % of the study area is exposed to high to very high hydro-meteorological, topographic, land resource, anthropogenic, and natural hazard pressures. The EV results indicated that one-third of the study area, majorly covering Kutubdia, Pekua, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Teknaf, and Ukhia upazilas, is highly environmentally vulnerable. For enhanced environmental protection, this study improved the existing method of environmental protection zoning by introducing a novel zoning approach that integrates in-situ biodiversity data with EV data. This new zoning method delineated 24 % (555 sq. km.) as strict, 45 % (1047 sq. km.) as medium, and 31 % (725 sq. km.) as soft protection zones in the study area. The sensitivity analysis identified land resource pressure as the most influential component of EV. With a correlation coefficient of 0.91, the accuracy assessment confirms a high level of reliability in the EV results. This study provides valuable insights into environmental pressures and vulnerability in Cox’s Bazar, which are crucial for informing policies at various levels, including international and national frameworks, emphasizing terrestrial ecosystem protection, coastal vulnerability mitigation, climate change impact reduction, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable land resource management.

Food Consumption Preference Amongst Young Adults Based on Social Media Influence in Malaysia

Food consumption amongst young adults has potentially been influenced by social media. Businesses also utilize social media as a medium of promotion. Thus, cultural food has gone viral on social media, causing the demand for cultural food to rise. Several factors in social media influence could be the reason for young adults discovering international cultural foods. Therefore, the focus of this study is to identify how social media influences young adults' tastes and preferences for international foods. Data was collected from 115 respondents who are young adults. The implications and consequences of the study findings for food consumption are further discussed. Social media influence on cultural food includes audio-visual appearance, information sharing, and delivery, finally, peer pressure on social was investigated in this study.

Gender differences in the mental symptom network of high school students in Shanghai, China: a network analysis

BackgroundAdolescence is a critical period for the onset of mental health issues. In China, high school students face significant academic and social pressures, leading to high rates of mental health challenges. Gender differences in the manifestation of these symptoms have been observed, with boys and girls exhibiting distinct psychological profiles.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the structure of psychological symptoms among Chinese high school students using network analysis, focusing on identifying core symptoms and gender differences in symptom networks. The key objectives are to: 1) identify the central psychological symptoms for boys and girls, and 2) uncover the interactions between symptoms to inform targeted interventions.MethodsA cluster sampling method was used to recruit 3,769 high school students (2,206 males and 1,563 females) in Shanghai. The Middle School Students Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS) was administered, and network analysis was conducted using the R packages bootnet and qgraph to assess symptom network edges, centrality, and network strength. Comparisons between male and female networks were made.ResultsNetwork analysis showed tightly connected symptom networks for both genders, with 43 non-zero edges for boys (sparsity 0.04) and 39 for girls (sparsity 0.13). Depression was the core symptom for boys (centrality 1.20), while anxiety was central for girls (centrality 1.46). Boys showed a stronger link between interpersonal sensitivity and depression (edge value 0.20), while girls exhibited a stronger connection between anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (edge value 0.16). Network comparison tests revealed no significant differences in overall network strength between boys (4.625) and girls (4.660), with P-values greater than 0.05 across all comparisons.ConclusionThis study highlights significant gender differences in the psychological symptom networks of Chinese high school students. Depression and anxiety emerged as core symptoms for boys and girls, respectively. These findings provide a foundation for developing gender-sensitive mental health interventions, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches based on gender-specific symptom profiles.

The Self-Control Ability Scale: Measuring a Key Construct of Situational Action Theory

Situational Action Theory (SAT) has emerged as a prominent theory of crime and delinquency. It includes a new conceptualization of self-control, which emphasizes its role in enabling individuals to adhere to their morality when deliberating about deviant and non-deviant action alternatives. However, existing self-control scales do not directly capture this role of self-control as a guardian of personal morality when externally challenged. To close this gap, we developed and validated the Self-Control Ability Scale (SCAS) to measure an individual’s self-perceived ability to withstand temptation, provocation, or social pressure when they conflict with their personal morality. We present the results of four studies that provide evidence for the three-dimensional structure of the SCAS, the reliability of its measures, its validity, and its measurement invariance across age, gender, and language. The SCAS promises more informative tests of SAT and new insights into individuals’ ability to adhere to their morality when challenged.

“They’re Going Through Something, Too”: The Challenges and Opportunities of Empathy and Prosocial Behavior in Middle School

Despite the volume of research on empathy and prosocial behavior, there is a dearth of studies exploring early adolescents’ experiences of practicing cognitive empathy and prosocial behavior. Without understanding both the challenges and opportunities of these two skills, we cannot effectively support their growth during this critical developmental period. This study aims to fill this gap. Sixteen sixth-grade students from two middle schools in a small Northeastern city in the United States participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of practicing cognitive empathy. Three themes appeared in student responses: preparing, cognitively empathizing, and responding. Youth experienced unique challenges in each of these components, including masking, relational distance, emotional awareness and regulation, capacity, misunderstanding, and negative peer pressure. The authors suggest a three-pronged approach—focusing on skills, relationships, and the social environment—to address these challenges and bolster adolescents’ unique strengths to promote cognitive empathy and prosocial behavior in middle schools.

Comprehensive Scoping Review on Body Image Perceptions and Influences in Children and Adolescents.

Conducting a scoping review helps identify research gaps and opportunities, avoid duplication, guide the selection of appropriate methodologies, and base studies on existing evidence. The aim of this study was to map the literature on body image in children and adolescents (0 to 19 years). The present study follows the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA). The search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, LILACS, SciELO, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. A total of 3257 articles were found, of which 2147 were duplicates, resulting in 1110 articles. Of these, 41 met the inclusion criteria. The results were divided into analytical dimensions, including measurement instruments, programs and interventions, social media, sociodemographic aspects, physical activity, personality and cognitive thinking, and studies with specific populations. The results highlight that peer influence, physical activity, media, and the school environment play crucial roles in shaping young people's body image; factors such as sex, age, and socioeconomic context emerge as important variables in understanding body perceptions, and educational interventions and health promotion programs have been shown to be effective in preventing and reducing body dissatisfaction, underscoring the need for multifactorial and collaborative approaches.

Comparative Analysis of E-commerce, E-wallet and Friend Environment on Student Consumptive Behavior

General Background: The rise of technology has made online shopping convenient for university students, but this can lead to prioritizing wants over needs, resulting in excessive consumer behavior. Specific Background: This study examines the influence of e-commerce convenience, e-wallet promotions, and peer environments on the consumptive behavior of accounting and management students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, addressing conflicting findings in previous research. Knowledge Gap: Previous studies yield inconsistent results regarding the impact of e-commerce ease on consumptive behavior and lack comprehensive analysis on e-wallet promotions and peer influence. Aims: The research aims to evaluate how these variables affect consumptive behavior and to identify differences between accounting and management students. Results: Findings indicate that e-commerce convenience does not affect accounting students but does influence management students. E-wallet promotions and peer environments significantly impact both groups, with notable differences in their effects. Novelty: This study enhances understanding of consumer behavior among Indonesian university students by emphasizing the varying impacts of technological and social factors. Implications: Insights from this research can guide e-commerce platforms and e-wallet providers in crafting targeted strategies that promote responsible consumerism among students. Highlights: E-commerce convenience significantly affects management students' consumptive behavior but not accounting students. E-wallet promotions and peer environments positively influence consumptive behavior in both student groups. The study highlights differences in the impact of promotional strategies and peer dynamics on students' shopping habits. Keywords: Ease of E-Commerce, E-Wallet Promotions, Peer Influence, Consumptive Behavior, Friend Environment

Empowering self-reliance: Assessing the impact of lifting ban for pregnant girls to return to school in Tanzania

The main objective of this study was to examine how the Tanzanian government’s program allowing girls who became pregnant while in school to return after giving birth relates to efforts in promoting self-reliance among these girls. Using a quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional design, the study found that 87.5% of teenage mother students and 62.5% of teachers had positive perceptions of the program. Factors influencing teenage pregnancies included poverty (37.5%), peer pressure (10%), bad friends (10%), and rape (12.5%). Additionally, 32.5% of the pregnancies were attributed to businessmen, 27.5% to bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) drivers, 25% to street men, and 15% to fellow students. The study also revealed challenges for teenage mothers, such as difficulty balancing studying and childcare (62.5%) and stigmatization from students, teachers, family, and community members (57.5%). Teachers reported issues like low concentration in class (62.5%), late arrivals (75%), lack of respect (62.5%), and absenteeism (68.5%). Furthermore, 65% of teenage mother students reported no support from the fathers of their children, highlighting a lack of support from these individuals. It is recommended that all stakeholders provide both psychological and material support to help these teenage mothers become self-reliant. The government, in collaboration with the community, should also ensure that all perpetrators of pregnancies are held accountable for supporting these teenage mothers.

The role of involution on Chinese youth pursuit of postgraduate education abroad: examine through the lens of normative social behaviour

ABSTRACT Involution has gained significant traction in China in recent years, particularly in the realms of education and employment. With the economic slowdown, more individuals opt for postgraduate studies to enhance their skills and remain competitive. The keen competition in China has prompted some to pursue further studies abroad, while others leverage academic qualifications obtained from prestigious overseas universities to engage in job involution upon returning home. This phenomenon has been examined by a qualitative research, employing the Theory of Normative Social Behaviour (TNSB) as a lens for analysis. Through the TNSB, the study explores how involution functions as a social norm, influencing the pursuit of postgraduate education abroad among young individuals as a normative social behaviour. The research involved in-depth interviews with 15 mainland Chinese postgraduate students, focusing on three key norms. Descriptive norms shed light on the influence of peers and family members on students’ decisions regarding further education. Injunctive norms reveal how young individuals’ perceptions of external rewards and intrinsic benefits impact their pursuit of postgraduate studies. Collective norms explore the societal influences that shape their choices. Based on the findings, suggestions have been put forward to utilize involution as a driving force for healthy societal progression.

Psychological Status Observation Among the Medical Students using DASS21

Background The psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress seem significantly more prevalent in medical students than in general people nowadays. The medical courses with tedious academic activities raise this mental distress among them. In addition, demographic and biological factors have a citable impact on mental illness. Thus, to analyze these health issues, many studies have been done based on the DASS- Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, where DASS21 comprises 21 questionnaires. Objectives To highlight the correlation between demographic features and DASS21 attributes. Determining the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress in medical students, and observing the percentage-wise relation between preferred features – BMI, Blood Pressure, and Blood Group – and DASS21 attributes. Methods An online survey was conducted on Uttara Adhunik Medical College undergraduate students in November 2023. Students’ demographic data, biological factors information, and responses from DASS21 questionnaires were taken in this survey. Further analysis of results and visual observation has been done through online and offline spreadsheets. Result Following the correlation coefficient test, students’ age and blood pressure negatively relate to DASS attributes; however, BMI is correlated positively with depression, anxiety, and stress. The severe prevalence rate of depression- 59%, anxiety- 72%, and stress- 53%, where females are more affected. The students who belong to the O and B blood groups as well as the overweight and obese students are more affected although most of them are healthier; nevertheless, depressed, anxious, and stressed students are mostly normotensive. Conclusion The present study highlights that most of the undergraduate medical students of UAMC, especially females are suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress issues. These psychological disorders are highly associated with their BMI, Blood Pressure, and Blood Groups. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 23 No. 04 October’24 Page : 1149-1158

The Factors Affecting Substance Use and the Most Effective Mental Health Interventions in Adolescents and Young Adults

Adolescents and young adults are particularly susceptible to substance abuse. They have yet to solidify their sense of self to the degree necessary to effectively resist temptations from negative peer pressure. It is vital for mental health counselors to understand the factors affecting substance abuse in adolescents/young adults and to comprehend the effectiveness of common intervention strategies fully. This paper produces a narrative literature review of 27 international journal publications from 2004 through June 2024 related to causal factors and interventions effective for treating substance abuse in adolescents and young adults. The results indicate that adolescents who idolize antisocial peers and lack a strong sense of self, family attachment, parental monitoring, and role models are more likely to suffer from substance abuse. Successful interventions include those that help strengthen the adolescent’s sense of self, a mental-health-friendly school environment staffed with professional mental health counselors, and interactive programs that engage students in positive behaviors. Positive family and peer role models can also assist in helping adolescents/young adults build a strong self-image and resist substance use. Positive peer influence is another critical factor, but more work must be undertaken to fully assess its effectiveness as an intervention.

A-177 Using the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method to maximise the Environmental Social Governance benefits of building a pathology hub laboratory

Abstract Background Organisations focusing on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) factors do not just benefit society and the planet, they also enjoy better performance across key profitability metrics, driven by higher growth and productivity, lower operational costs and enhanced return on investment. SYNLAB’s new Synnovis Pathology Hub, built in partnership with the National Health Service (NHS), is a high-tech purpose-built laboratory building with construction completing in Spring 2024. It will serve more than 1.7 million people in the southeast London region delivering both routine and special diagnostics in support of a 15-year NHS pathology contract. The redevelopment of the site presented an opportunity to closely align SYNLAB company strategy with the delivery of its ESG ambitions, as well as achieve financial and operational sustainability. Methods BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a standardised framework within which SYNLAB could collaborate with the building landlord and Hub delivery partners. BREEAM assessment categories are: energy, land use and ecology, water, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste and management. Applying the intent of SYNLAB’s ESG strategy to the hub build programme, setting this expectation with stakeholders, and using BREEAM as a platform on which to track and report ESG benefits ensured ESG and related deliverables were high on the agenda to be captured and delivered. Results The hub is on track to achieve the BREEAM Excellent rating which means it will rank within the top 10% of commercial buildings in the UK in terms of ESG benefits. Contributors to this achievement include: Recycling over 85% of materials during construction, saving more than 500 tonnes of materials from going to waste; Incorporation of changing rooms and 56 cycle rack spaces to encourage healthy and sustainable travel, helping to keep London’s air clean and reduce CO2e emissions; An Energy Management System within the Building Management System providing detailed area by area analysis and control. Along with water metering per floor, this helps SYNLAB to understand usage and focus process improvements; An energy efficient air handling system, a key area of opportunity for laboratory energy efficiency; Conformity with EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, for example by limiting the flow rate of water to prevent wastage; Reuse of materials within the building, for example by relocating seating, private call areas, glass walls; Reuse of materials externally through donations to charitable organisations, for example televisions and fridges were given to a local care home, improving the residents’ quality of life; Working with local schools and wider the community. Conclusions Incorporating BREEAM ESG criteria from the early stages of planning in construction projects provide a higher likelihood of stakeholder buy-in, adoption and delivery. Pathology networks are considered key in delivering the national ambitions set out within the Long-Term Plan for the NHS and there is increased government and social pressure driving healthcare businesses to adopt ESG. There is the opportunity within Pathology networking and Pathology new builds to harness these benefits from the outset and lay the long term foundations for ESG within healthcare for future sustainability.

Peer Group Pressure, Study Habit And Academic Achievement Of Secondary School Students

The study focused on finding out the relationship between peer group pressure, study habit and academic achievement of secondary school students in Ebonyi North Education Zone of Ebonyi State. Three purposes and three research questions were formulated to guide the study. Three hypotheses were tested. A correlational survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was twenty-four thousand three hundred and sixty nine (24,369) secondary school students. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted for the study. 300 students were randomly sampled for the study. Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled Peer Group Pressure, Study Habit and Academic Achievement. The instrument was validated by three specialist. The internal consistency of the instrument was tested using Crombach Alpha procedure which yielded an overall index of 0.89. Data collected were analyzed using linear regression for research questions. The hypotheses were analyzed using regression tool. The results revealed a negative relationship between peer group pressure and academic achievement; a strong relationship between study habits and academic achievement, and a high relationship between peer group pressure, study habits and academic achievement. Furthermore there is a significant relationship between study habits and academic achievement, and between peer group pressure, study habits and academic achievement. It was recommended among other things that students should pay much attention to their study habits in order to improve their academic achievement

Testing the social pressure hypothesis: Does in-party social pressure reduce out-party empathy?

Empathy is considered one of the most critical components for bridging political divides and reducing animosity between political groups. Yet, empathy between political opponents is rare. There is a growing concern that partisans do not empathize with out-partisans because they feel social pressure from fellow in-partisans not to do so. This article examines this social pressure hypothesis and draws two conclusions. First, on the surface, the hypothesis seems plausible: citizens perceive fellow in-partisans as comparatively disapproving of and reluctant to engage in out-party empathy, and naïve cross-sectional analyses suggest that this perception translates into lower empathy towards out-partisans. Second, however, experimental data suggest that this relationship is not causal. Expecting disapproval from fellow in-party members for empathizing with out-partisans does not lead to a significant reduction in intentions to empathize with out-partisans. Rather, exploratory analyses suggest that social pressure by the in-party increases empathy toward out-partisans and triggers disappointment toward in-partisans. This implies that partisans can resist social pressure from the in-party and might even compensate for in-partisans' lack of out-party empathy. The results are supported by original cross-sectional and experimental survey data ( ) collected in the United States, an arguably most likely case for in-party social pressure to shape partisans' intentions. The results have important implications for understanding the causes of and viable strategies for building empathy across political divides.

Does social capital positively influence loan performance even during a crisis?

Theoretically, it is unclear whether group loans outperform individual loans in terms of delinquency, especially during a crisis. It is difficult to test the hypothesis due to differences in the types of borrowers of the group and individual loans and likely differences in their behavior between crises and normal times. We overcome the challenge by comparing simultaneous group and individual loans of the same individual before and during the Covid-19 crisis in India. We find that the delinquency rate of group loans is significantly lower. Further tests suggestively indicate that the outperformance is due to the “peer pressure” channel.

Connect to green: High-speed rail network and firms’ environmental performance

High-speed rail (HSR) has completely revolutionized intercity travel, significantly impacting economic activities. Recent studies have increasingly focused on how HSR affects environmental pollution. Given China’s extensive HSR policy in recent years, we extend this discussion in the context of China, introducing several new dimensions. Firstly, by manually collecting the daily operating routes of each HSR line in China, we construct a dynamic, directed, and weighted HSR network and provide a detailed description of the topological evolution of Chinese HSR from 2007 to 2014. Secondly, by employing network theory algorithms, we develop a city-level HSR strength index. This approach diverges from the commonly used multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) specification, allowing us to better address heterogeneity and discontinuity issues in identifying HSR effects. Thirdly, by leveraging the specific structure of the HSR network, we analyze how cities are interconnected and, for the first time, discuss the impact of “HSR-catalyzed supervision pressure” on firms’ pollution performance. Our findings show that firms exposed to higher HSR service intensity are more likely to reduce their SO2 emissions, a result that remains robust across various checks and other pollutants. We propose an intercity interaction story, predicting that HSR facilitates spillovers among city groups, thereby increasing environmental supervision pressure from neighboring cities in the HSR network. In further empirical analysis, we identify three specific sources of supervision pressure: peer pressure, vertical pressure, and public pressure.