The peer influence on Taiwanese adolescents' attitudes towards romantic relationships

Abstract

The researchi s to investigate the adolescence'sp eer discussion and its influences on adolescents' romantic relationships. Based on development theories, adolescences are changing their social network into peers and they start to have interests in the opposite sex. This study structured a hypothesis that there is a peer influence on Taiwanese adolescents' romantic relationship. Adolescence has been recognized as a developing stage in psychosexual, psychosocial, and cognitive areas. An experience of passionate love in romantic relationship can become the most crucial thing, and is also a lesson to search proper partner in future life. Friends' opinions about relationships and sexuality address influences on adolescents. This study applied both qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection. First, focus groups with adolescents and semi-structured interviews with school counsellors and teachers are to provide qualitative data. Content analysis has been applied in data analysis to categorize the themes. Second, a questionnaire was applied by adopting the themes generated from the qualitative results. The results showed that there is a peer influences on Taiwanese adolescents' romantic relationships in dating activities, dating dress, couple-making, and advice giving. They also benefit from peers' experiences in romantic relationships. Furthermore, the finding on peer influences on adolescents was contradictory. Young people view others' behaviours as an influence of peers while stating their behaviours as being independent and non-influenced. Analyses about young people's opinions and school teachers' observation have been discussed with respects to literatures and theories. It has been argued that peer influences among adolescents are both negative and positive. Though adolescents are judged as being influenced by their peers, they insisted that they are independent while making decisions. Recommendations are made for educational authorities, school staff, and young people.