Studies of contextual variations in the features and effects of children's experiences with agemates have enriched our understanding of the basic functioning of the peer system. They have also expanded our understanding of specificity of developmental processes. Using existing research on contextual variations in peer relations as our point of departure, our “Call for Action” consists of eight “rules” designed to guide research on the role of peer relations in the effects of culture and socioeconomic status and inequality on development. These rules are concerned with how peer researchers conceptualize the contexts they study, how they measure and study the features of these contexts, and how they engage with other researchers interested in contextual analyses. The goal of our “Call To Action” is to promote the conceptual clarity and empirical power of research on contextual variability in the features and effects of experiences with peers.

对儿童与同龄人的经历的特征和影响的背景变化的研究丰富了我们对同伴系统基本功能的理解。它们还扩展了我们对发育过程特异性的理解。以对同伴关系背景变化的现有研究为出发点，我们的“行动呼吁”包含八项“规则”，旨在指导有关同伴关系在文化和社会经济地位以及不平等对发展的影响中的作用的研究。这些规则涉及同行研究人员如何概念化他们研究的背景，他们如何衡量和研究这些背景的特征，以及他们如何与对背景分析感兴趣的其他研究人员互动。