We all know teens are susceptible to peer pressure, but why? Researchers say it’s because they care a great deal about what other people think about them.

Sure, that may seem fairly self-evident, but scientists now have research to back it up. Researchers say teens derive greater happiness if they engage in activities that earn praise from their peers—and that’s not all bad.

“Peer pressure often is seen as a negative, and indeed it can coax kids into unhealthy behavior (such as) smoking or speeding,” writes The Wall Street Journal‘s Shirley S. Wang; but it also can lead to engagement in more useful social behaviors. If peers value doing well in school or excelling at sports, for instance, it might encourage kids to study or train harder. Peer pressure and learning to resist it are important developmental steps to self-reliance, experts say.” (Wall Street Journal)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.