Informational social influence refers to the process by which individuals align their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to align them with those of a reference group or community who they perceive to be knowledgeable or having collective wisdom. It is based on the concept that people are often unsure of how to act or think in […]
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A reference group is a group of people whose norms influence a person’s behaviors. We use the group as a ‘frame of reference’ to make behavioral decisions. Traditionally, we would refer to a reference group as the social group (and its norms) that we wish to belong to, and therefore, we use its norms as
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Reference groups refer to groups of people whose norms and behaviors we want to either emulate (a positive reference) or avoid (a negative reference). This concept was traditionally used in sociology (see: reference groups in sociology) to explore how people’s behaviors are influenced by the groups they either admire or find distasteful (McDonald & Crandall,
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Research methods refer to the strategies, tools, and techniques used to gather and analyze data in a structured way in order to answer a research question or investigate a hypothesis (Hammond & Wellington, 2020). Generally, we place research methods into two categories: quantitative and qualitative. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, which we can
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Group norms are the unspoken or explicit rules that a group has for the acceptable behaviors, values, and beliefs of its members. They create a structure that allows a group to function effectively, enabling cooperation, and minimizing conflict. A group’s norms, often tied to the group’s unique identity, not only inform how individuals act within
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Self-evaluation is a reflective process where an individual assesses their own performance, skills, and personal growth. It’s a powerful tool for understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, achievements, and areas of improvement. It is most commonly employed in work, school, and personal development. Through this practice, individuals can identify their progress towards specific personal goals, professional
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Cultural blindness is the idea that a person’s culture has no bearing on their worldview. The term is related to the color blindness concept, where individuals argue they don’t see race, so they treat people of all different races in the exact same way. In the context of cultural encounters, the term can be understood
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Inductive reasoning involves using patterns from small datasets to come up with broader generalizations. For example, it is used in opinion polling when you poll 1,000 people and use that data to come up with an estimate of broader public opinion. Typically, inductive reasoning moves from the specific to the general; and can be understood
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Interest groups are organized groups of people who have come together to advocate for their own interests. In public policy, public interest groups (also known as special interest groups) are established to pressure people in power, such as policy-makers, to make decisions that benefit their interests. Interest groups may also be set up to effect
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The quaternary sector of the economy is an extension of the tertiary, i.e., the service sector. It is also known as the knowledge sector. Quaternary sector examples include fund managers, consultants, software developers, statisticians, office personnel, school and university personnel, theaters, doctors, accountants, bankers, and media personnel. This sector is concerned with information-based or knowledge-oriented
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