Homophily, Selection, and Socialization in Adolescent Friendships

Examines longitudinal sociometric data on adolescent friendship pairs, friends-to-be, and former friends in order to assess homophily on four attributes: (1) frequency of current marijuana use, (2) level of educational aspirations, (3) political orientation, and (4) participation in minor delinquency. The finding that socialization of peers is strongest for marijuana use suggests that drug use may be a significant behavior around which to study peer influence. (Author/DB)