Roles are the functions that the group assigns to an individual to attain group objectives. Various roles that have been identified in family decision making are the influences, the gatekeeper, decision maker, the purchaser and the consumer. Status refers to the position an individual enjoys within the group.
High status implies greater power and influence. A person may enjoy a highest status in the organization but may be the weakest member in the tennis club. An employer rewards an employee with money and status, family rewards the child with praise and approval.
According to Park and Lessig, a consumer is motivated to conform to the norms and behaviour of the group if:. Normative influence can occur even when others do not control tangible outcomes because people are concerned with their perceptions of what other think of them. This means, it may also occur for items such as mouthwash and denture adhesive, even if these items are not visible. For example- fashion conscious women receives clear signals from their peers which product to buy so that their choices were socially correct.
The information can be collected directly from knowledgeable persons or by observing the behaviour. Consumers usually seek expert advice from personal sources such as friends and neighbors than from commercial sources.
Informational influence is likely to be most important in two conditions. First, when there is social, financial performance risk in buying the product. Second, if the individual has limited knowledge or experience regarding the product. Comparative influence means comparing oneself to other members of the group and also judging whether groups would be supportive. Consumers constantly compare their attitudes to those of members of important groups.
They try to associate themselves with groups with which they agree and by dissociating themselves from groups with which they disagree. In Table comparative influence is a process of self maintenance and enrichment.
Comparative influence implies that those being influenced should have characteristics similar to one who is influencing. A study reveals that consumers seek information from those whose view is similar to themselves. Marketers are basically more interested in the ability of reference groups to change consumer attitudes and behaviour i. This means the extent of personal ties between group members. Through research it was observed, members of close-knit groups were more likely to reveal a preference for the same brands.
Marketers and advertisers use reference group appeals very effectively to communicate with their customers. They use three types of group influence informational, comparative and normative to develop advertising and personal selling strategies.
Advertising strategies have portrayed informational influence through expert spokespersons, comparative influence by using typical consumers and normative influence by showing the rewards of using a product or the risks of not using it.
Marketers use expert spokesperson to convey informational influence through advertising. They are used then to communicate product features and performance. For example — doctor is used for a medical product, an engineer for a technical product. Marketers usually use two approaches to portray expert spokespersons.
One is to portray the role the expert plays as in the example above. A second approach is to show a celebrity who has expertise in the product area. The second approach uses celebrities to provide product testimonials. For example — when for Nike athlete shoes some sports star like P. Usha is used as an expert consumer are likely to view a testimonial from P.
Usha for the product category as credible. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. By Ashley Crossman. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format.
Crossman, Ashley. What Is a Reference Group? How Do Sociologists Define Consumption? This distinction is made when we decide which values we want to emulate and which ones we want to reject.
Finally, they allow us to immerse ourselves in a new environment by providing us with a standard to follow so that we may fit in better. Comparative Reference Groups — Comparative reference groups are those which individuals use as a standard against which they compare themselves during the process of self-appraisal.
American social psychologist Theodore Newcomb further distinguished between two primary types of reference groups based on the nature of comparison — Positive Reference Groups — A positive reference group is one of which individuals aspire to become members.
Negative Reference Groups — A negative reference group is one that individuals disapprove of and use their patterns of behaviour and opinions, and attitudes as a standard to avoid. Characteristics of Reference Groups Reference groups set ideals of behaviour and attitudes, values and ideologies for those who refer to them.
They are not organised groups of people who consciously or deliberately stand to represent specific social values. Instead, they may be understood as conceptual groups because they are non-membership groups. In order to become a member of a reference group, individuals must adopt the lifestyle and values of the group.
For example, immigrants in Western countries learn to incorporate Western culture into their own lifestyle so that they can cultivate a sense of acceptance and belonging. As we enter into novel social environments or new phases of life, we change the reference groups that we look up to for self-appraisal.
Also Read: Primary and Secondary Groups Importance Eminent social psychologist Muzafer Sherif suggested that human beings are the only species known to display reference group behaviour by modifying their conduct based on learnings from their social environment. Furthermore, they allow individuals to evaluate their conduct and performance in any given social or professional situation.
Reference group behaviour exists in complex societies such as ours that pride themselves in their capitalist and industrialised fabric. In such communities, studying reference group behaviour may be a means to understanding social relationships and attitudes. Criticism Reference groups may give rise to feelings of relative deprivation.
For example, suppose an individual chooses to compare himself to a reference group representing a higher socio-economic class. In that case, they may feel inadequate because of unequal opportunity and access to resources.
The theory of reference group behaviour answers the question of why people behave in a particular manner in specific social situations. However, it does not offer any means of controlling or modifying such behaviour. The reference group theory is also understood only unilaterally, i. Footer About us. Write for us.
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