What role do reference groups play in adolescents' experimentations of new roles and identities?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A good answer would include the following key points:
- Adolescence is a time of experimentation with new roles and identities. Peers provide information about what roles and behavior are most acceptable by serving as a reference group.
- Reference groups are groups of people with whom one compares oneself. Teenagers tend to compare themselves to those who are similar to them.
- Reference groups present a set of norms, or standards, against which adolescents can judge their abilities and social successes.
- An adolescent need not be part of the group for it to serve as a reference group. They may compare themselves to members of the other group and evaluate how they are different from members of the reference group.