Peer relationships become more important during adolescence because:

• A. Adolescents dislike their parents.
• B. Adolescents no longer need parental control.
• C. They provide adolescents with a feeling of belonging.
• D. They promote a sense of individuality in adolescents.

Answer: (D)

As adolescence unfolds, fitting in with peers becomes central because belonging to a peer group fulfills a fundamental need for social acceptance and identity. Teens look to friends for shared norms, support, and validation, which helps shape how they see themselves within a broader social world outside the family. This sense of belonging supports emotional safety and provides a platform for experimenting with independence in a less authoritative context than parental relationships.

It's not that adolescents dislike their parents or no longer need parental guidance; parental influence remains important, but peers increasingly fulfill the human need to belong. The idea of promoting individuality is less about belonging and more about developing autonomy and a personal identity, which is a separate process that also occurs as teens navigate their relationships with peers.