Similar to a trend seen in behavioral science more broadly, investigations on peer influence have begun to consider biological factors that may be relevant for understanding peer influence. Typical brain development during adolescence—including broad growth in social cognitive skills—orients teens toward the social world and heightens the salience of peers (e.g., Blakemore & Choudhury, 2006). Research using fMRI and other imaging methods has enabled identification of neural profiles associated with heightened sensitivity to peer influence (Grosbras et al., 2007; Nelson, Leibenluft, McClure, & Pine, 2005), offering additional insight into the individual (and biologically based) factors which may moderate the association between peers’ and adolescents’ behavior.
