Reference Groups
Think about the last time you attended a party. As you dressed for
the party, you probably asked yourself (or someone else) what others would be wearing. Your selection of attire may have been influenced by those likely to be present. This simple example reflects
one form of impact that groups may exert on your behavior.
A group has been defined as “two or more individuals who
share a set of norms, values, or beliefs and have certain implicitly
or explicitly defined relationships to one another such that their
behavior is interdependent.”
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Groups are one of the primary factors influencing learning and socialization, and group situations
constitute many of our purchase decisions.