The best prediction for children's choice of behaviour is the actions of other children around them

I recently stumbled on this snippet on Peer Influence from John Tropea.

1928 Study by Hugh Hartshorne and Mark May

Experimental situation in which 10-13 year old had the choice to yield to the possibility of cheating and stealing, or to be honest and considerate of their peers. The study showed that children were not consistently honest or dishonest (the idea that honesty would be a fixed trait of character by this age). The best prediction for the children's choice of behaviour was the actions of the other children around them.

Credit: Jennie Lindon (Understanding Child Development) p 32

We are all children. We are all social creatures. This research reflects so much on all our behaviours. Some thoughts come to mind:

1. To what extent do these research findings reflect on the behaviour of the people in the recent England riots?
2. In a KM context, is it surprising that people are not more collaborative or sharing, if their peers are not?
3. This research took place in 1928 and I believe has been replicated many times since. It even seems that children learn most from their peers and not their parents.
4. To what extent is this research true? And what we learnt from it?