THE ADOLESCENT PEER CULTURE WAS EXAMINED TO DETERMINE CONDITIONS AMONG ADOLESCENTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPENDENCE ON, OR INDEPENDENCE OF, THE YOUTH CULTURE. A MODEL CONTAINING THE DIMENSIONS OF THE YOUTH CULTURE WAS CONSTRUCTED. ADOLESCENT YOUTH CULTURE ADHERENCE INCLUDES THE TENDENCY TO VIEW THE ADOLESCENT YEARS AS IDYLLIC AND DEVELOPMENTALLY DISTINCT, AND THE TENDENCY TO CONFLICT WITH THE USUAL REPRESENTATIVES OF SOCIETAL AUTHORITY. FROM THE MODEL CATEGORIES, ITEMS WERE DERIVED AND ASSEMBLED IN A LIKERT-TYPE ATTITUDE SCALE. PEER DEPENDENCY WAS COMPARED WITH AGE, SEX, PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 3,400 SUBJECTS FROM FIVE STUDENT POPULATIONS. FINDINGS WERE--(1) ADHERENCE TO THE ADOLESCENT PEER CULTURE IS GREATER AMONG BOYS THAN AMONG GIRLS, (2) YOUTH CULTURE ADHERENCE IS NEGATIVELY RELATED TO SCHOOL ACTIVITY, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND APTITUDE, SOCIAL LEADERSHIP, AND COLLEGE ATTENDANCE, AND (3) INCREASING YOUTH CULTURE ADHERENCE IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASING SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YOUTH CULTURE MAY SERVE AS A SUBSTITUTE VEHICLE IN THE ATTAINMENT OF IDENTITY, AND IS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED. FINDINGS RELATED TO DIFFERENTIAL QUALITATIVE USE OF THE YOUTH CULTURE BY SEX AND AGE ARE PRESENTED. (AUTHOR/PS)