What characterizes peer-mediated interventions?

Peer-mediated interventions are characterized by the use of peers to facilitate teaching and reinforcement among individuals, particularly in educational or therapeutic settings. This approach leverages social interactions and relationships between students or participants to promote learning or behavioral changes. Peers can effectively model appropriate behaviors, provide support, and reinforce positive actions, making these interventions particularly powerful.

Utilizing peers in this manner allows for a more naturalistic learning environment, where individuals often feel more comfortable and accepted, leading to increased engagement and motivation. This method emphasizes collaborative learning and can enhance social skills, communication, and overall peer relationships, thus promoting a supportive community.

In contrast, involving only teachers would limit the potential for peer influence and interaction, focusing exclusively on individual behavior misses the collaborative aspect that peer-mediated interventions aim to foster, and implementing technology could be a component of some interventions but does not define the key characteristic of using peers in the process. Hence, using peers for teaching and reinforcement is what distinctly characterizes these interventions.