A peer group is a group of people who are equal in some way. Those in a peer group have the same status and are about the same age. They often interact with the group as a whole.[1] Members of a peer group often have similar interests and backgrounds.[2]
Developmental psychologists, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, and Harry Stack Sullivan, argued that peer relationships are important in a person's development, and teach about equality, reciprocity, cooperation, and intimacy. Modern research also shows that social and emotional gains are indeed provided by peer interaction.[3]
Judith Rich Harris, in The Nurture Assumption, argues that an individual's peer group significantly influences their intellectual and personal development. Several long-term studies also claim that peer groups improve school work.[4][5][6]