Parental and peer influences on adolescent cigarette smoking

Abstract

The effects of peer smoking (imitation and peer pressure) and parental smoking and their interaction effects on adolescent smoking were investigated through an experimental study among 59 students of intermediate technical and vocational-training. The experiment had a 2 (confederate smoking three times during the session, or not smoking) x 2 (confederate offering three cigarettes during the session, or not offering any cigarettes) factorial design. Adolescent smoking was observed through television monitoring during the session, in which was kept track of the times the participant lighted up and putted out a cigarette. Parental smoking was measured through the reports of the subjects in the questionnaire they filled out after the session. Subjects were more positively affected by confederate smoking than by confederate offering cigarettes. However, both of them had a significant positive effect, which presumes that imitation and peer pressure processes are influential. Paternal smoking affected adolescent smoking negatively. Though, this effect was smaller than the peer influence effects. No significant maternal smoking and the interaction effects were found. Thus, adolescents have a bias to imitate their peer’s smoking behavior and are (somewhat less) susceptible for peer pressure. From these results, intervention programs may shift their main focus from peer pressure to imitation, yet keeping peer pressure in mind too.