For the purpose of this review, it is useful to describe these moderators as four “levels” or classes of variables (Hartup, 2005; Prinstein, 2007). First, characteristics of the influenced adolescent (i.e., the target adolescent) may alter susceptibility or resistance to peer influence. Second, features of the influence source (the influencing peer) may function to moderate influence effects. Third, the type or nature of the relationship between the target and the influencer may be relevant to the influence process. And finally, the type of behavior in question, such as deviant, neutral, or prosocial, also may impact susceptibility. Not surprisingly, these moderators also interact with one another both across and within levels of analysis (see Dishion & Dodge, 2005; Hartup, 2005; Lavallee, Bierman, & Nix, 2005).
