The Teen Court Peer Influence Scale (TCPIS): Determining an Effective Way to Measure and Model Positive Peer Influence

This article describes the development and validation of a scale designed to measure positive peer influence. Participants from six teen court sites completed an anonymous survey (N 202), which included the newly developed Teen Court Peer Influence Scale (TCPIS). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test three measurement models to determine the best fit to the data. The final measurement model included three reciprocal factors: positive cognitions, positive identity development, and modeling positive behaviors. The model illustrated strong psychometric properties and provides a framework that may be used to augment practice. Keywords teen courts, positive peer influence, measurement development, theory, confirmatory factor analysis Peer influence has been conceptualized and evaluated in a multitude of ways to garner a better understanding of the conditions under which youth are likely to be influenced (Deptula & Cohen, 2004). Gaps in the literature exist with regard to the role that positive peers play in developmental outcomes, and scholars conclude that studies that include the measurement of peer relationships i