Are peer educators really peers?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether peer educators are considered peers by their audiences, the authors compared 28 peer educators and 28 college students on their personal qualities using self-report surveys.


RESULTS
Students who wanted to become peer educators reported higher self-esteem, greater leadership skills, and fewer risky health behaviors than did demographically similar college students. However, peer educators appeared similar to their colleagues in terms of personal values and personality temperament.


CONCLUSIONS
Although peer educators are natural leaders with strong self-esteem and more healthy behaviors, they appear to be quite similar to their audiences in regard to values and temperaments, making them successful role models and arguably true peers.
Badura Brack
Amy
A
Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. abadura@creighton.edu
Millard
Michele
M
Shah
Kinjal
K
D000328:Adult; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities