CORRELATES OF SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS ON PEER PRESSURE AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE

Abstract

Young people's decisions, actions and relationships with others are greatly influenced by peer pressure as it has a significant impact on university students' social and academic lives. One ef ective way to help students navigate peer pressure could be group counselling. This study examined the influence of socio-cultural factors on peer pressure among undergraduates at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). A descriptive survey design was utilized for the study, the population comprised of all undergraduates of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and data was collected from 291 students across ten colleges using a structured questionnaire adapted from peer pressure scale by Palani and Mani (2016) and Ward and Kennedy’s (1999) socio-cultural adaptation scale (SCAS) with a reliability coef icient of α = .73 and .79. respectively. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics (for socio- demographic characteristics of the respondents), while correlation, and regression analyses answered research questions one and two respectively. Findings revealed a significant negative relationship between socio-cultural factors (family structure, religious beliefs, community values, cultural expectations) and peer pressure. Regression analysis showed that all the sociocultural factors jointly accounted for 51.8% of the variance in peer pressure, with religious beliefs (β = - 0.113) emerging as the most potent predictor. The study recommended among others that institutions should facilitate peer mentorship and support groups that provide alternative positive social influences, reducing the dominance of negative peer pressure.