Normative social influence Vs Informational social influence

• Peer Pressure: A person may feel pressured to smoke because the rest of their friends are. They conform to the group behavior, not out of personal desire but to gain acceptance and avoid social exclusion.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Emergency Situations: In emergencies, people often look to others to determine how to respond. If everyone else is calm, a person is likely to conclude that the situation isn’t serious, whereas if people are panicking, the person will likely perceive the situation as serious.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Ambiguous Situations: An example of this is if someone was to go to a posh restaurant for the first time, they might be confronted with several forks and not know which one to use, so they might look to a nearby person to see what fork to use first.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Fashion Trends: When people follow fashion trends that they don’t necessarily like, it shows the desire to fit in with societal expectations and the fear of standing out or being viewed as different

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Public Health Crises: During public health crises, people often rely on information from health officials, government leaders, and peers to determine how to protect themselves, reflecting informational social influence.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Social Media Likes: The trend of posting content on social media that aligns with popular sentiment, even if it doesn’t reflect one’s true opinion

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Learning a New Job: When starting a new job, people often look to coworkers for cues on how to behave, especially when unsure of the rules or expectations.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

1. Wearing Formal Attire to a Wedding: Guests wear formal attire to weddings because it’s the expected dress code and they want to show respect for the occasion and the couple getting married.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

1. Eating with Utensils: Individuals use utensils when eating in public, even if they prefer eating with their hands

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right

• Asking for Directions: When lost, people usually ask locals for directions as they are assumed to have accurate information about the area.

• Normative social influence- the need to be liked

• Informational social influence- the need to be right