Running head: FINAL PROJECT 2 FINAL PROJECT 2 Final Project Theory and Topic Selection Student’s name The selected topic is to determine why teenagers struggle to fit in their social groups. Some engage in harmful behaviors such as substance use, drinking and smoking just to fit in their social groups. Despite some behaviors having negative effects to their health and wellness, they go to great lengths just to fit. The two selected theories to enhance our understanding of why teenagers behave in certain ways are social identity theory and observational learning theory. The social identity theory tries to explain intergroup behavioral patterns perceived by individuals. Individuals feel they need to be associated with certain groups. They feel they need to be accepted in society thus need social identity. This theory will enhance our understanding why teenagers get engaged in certain harmful behaviors to be accepted by their peers and identify with them. Observational learning posits that people observe, retain and imitate specific behavioral patterns. They later display behavior and traits similar to those of others in society. This can help illustrate how teenagers who join bad groups end up copying the harmful behaviors they see. Spending time with peers who engage in harmful behavior like drinking is likely to trigger one to replicate such behavior. It all starts with observing then retaining and later replicating what they see. These two theories enhance understanding of why teenagers behave in certain ways enabling psychologists to develop treatment approaches and public health programs to help teenagers resist joining harmful behaviors. They have powerful influence on our understanding of different aspects of mental health and overall well-being. Running head: FIN AL PROJECT 1 Final Project Theory and Topic Selection Student ’ s name The selecte d topic is to determine why teenagers struggle to fit in their social groups. Some engage in harmful behaviors such as substance use, drinking a nd smoking just to fi t in their social groups. Despite some behaviors h a ving negative effects to their health and wellness, they go to great lengths just to f it. The two selected t heories to enhance our understanding of why teenagers behave in certain w ays are social identity theory and observational learning theory . The social identity theory tries to explain intergroup behavioral patterns perceived by individuals. Individuals feel they need to be associa ted with certain groups. They feel they need to be accepted in society thus need social identity. This theory will enhance our understanding why teenagers get en g ag e d in certain harmful behaviors to be acc epted by their peers and identify with them. Observational learning posits that people observe , retain and imitate specific behavioral patterns . They later display behavior and traits similar t.

1. Running head: FINAL PROJECT 2
FINAL PROJECT 2
Final Project Theory and Topic Selection
Student’s name
The selected topic is to determine why teenagers struggle to fit
in their social groups. Some engage in harmful behaviors such
as substance use, drinking and smoking just to fit in their social
groups. Despite some behaviors having negative effects to their
health and wellness, they go to great lengths just to fit. The two
selected theories to enhance our understanding of why teenagers
behave in certain ways are social identity theory and
observational learning theory. The social identity theory tries to
explain intergroup behavioral patterns perceived by individuals.
Individuals feel they need to be associated with certain groups.
They feel they need to be accepted in society thus need social
identity. This theory will enhance our understanding why
teenagers get engaged in certain harmful behaviors to be
accepted by their peers and identify with them.
Observational learning posits that people observe, retain and
imitate specific behavioral patterns. They later display behavior
and traits similar to those of others in society. This can help
illustrate how teenagers who join bad groups end up copying the
harmful behaviors they see. Spending time with peers who
engage in harmful behavior like drinking is likely to trigger one
to replicate such behavior. It all starts with observing then
retaining and later replicating what they see.
These two theories enhance understanding of why teenagers
behave in certain ways enabling psychologists to develop
treatment approaches and public health programs to help
teenagers resist joining harmful behaviors. They have powerful
influence on our understanding of different aspects of mental
health and overall well-being.

2. Running head: FIN
AL
PROJECT
1
Final Project Theory and Topic Selection
Student
’
s name
The
selecte
d topic
is to
determine why
teenagers
struggle to fit in their social groups.
Some engage in harmful
behaviors
such
as substance use, drinking a
nd smoking just to
fi

3. t in
their
social
groups. Despite
some
behaviors
h
a
ving
negative effects
to their health and wellness,
they go to
great
lengths
just to f
it.
The two
selected
t
heories
to
enhance
our
understanding
of
why

4. teenagers
behave
in
certain
w
ays are
social
identity
theory
and
observational
learning
theory
.
The
social
identity
theory tries
to explain intergroup
behavioral
patterns
perceived by

5. individuals.
Individuals
feel they need to be associa
ted with certain
groups.
They feel they need
to be
accepted
in society thus need
social
identity. This theory will
enhance
our
understanding
why
teenagers
get
en
g
ag
e
d
in certain harmful behaviors to
be acc
epted by their peers and
identify with them.

6. Observational learning posits that people
observe
,
retain and imitate specific behavioral
patterns
. They
later display behavior and
traits
similar to those of
others in society. This can help
illustrate
how teenagers who join bad groups end up
copying
the
harmful
behaviors they see.
Spending time with peers who
engage
in
harmful
behavior
l
ike drin
king
is likely to trigger one to
replicate
such behavior. It all starts with observing then retaining and

7. later
replicating
what th
ey
see.
T
hese
two theories
enhance
understanding
of
why
teenagers
behave in certain ways
enabling psychologists to develop treatment approaches and
public health programs to help
teenagers
resist
joining harmfu
l
behaviors
.
T
hey
have powerful
influence on
our

8. understanding
of
different
aspects of
mental
health
and overall well
-
being.
Running head: FINAL PROJECT 1
Final Project Theory and Topic Selection
Student’s name
The selected topic is to determine why teenagers struggle to fit
in their social groups.
Some engage in harmful behaviors such as substance use,
drinking and smoking just to fit in
their social groups. Despite some behaviors having negative
effects to their health and wellness,
they go to great lengths just to fit. The two selected theories to
enhance our understanding of
why teenagers behave in certain ways are social identity theory
and observational learning
theory. The social identity theory tries to explain intergroup
behavioral patterns perceived by
individuals. Individuals feel they need to be associated with
certain groups. They feel they need
to be accepted in society thus need social identity. This theory
will enhance our understanding
why teenagers get engaged in certain harmful behaviors to be
accepted by their peers and
identify with them.

9. Observational learning posits that people observe, retain and
imitate specific behavioral
patterns. They later display behavior and traits similar to those
of others in society. This can help
illustrate how teenagers who join bad groups end up copying the
harmful behaviors they see.
Spending time with peers who engage in harmful behavior like
drinking is likely to trigger one to
replicate such behavior. It all starts with observing then
retaining and later replicating what they
see.
These two theories enhance understanding of why teenagers
behave in certain ways
enabling psychologists to develop treatment approaches and
public health programs to help
teenagers resist joining harmful behaviors. They have powerful
influence on our understanding
of different aspects of mental health and overall well-being.