reference groups

Definition:
When discussing psychological influences upon behaviour the emphasis is upon the individual. But 'no man is an island', and all of us are subjected to the influence of others with whom we come into contact. This influence is particularly strong in the case of what are termed reference groups. Social psychologists reserve the description group for collections of two or more persons who interact with one another over time. In other words there must be some relationship between the group members which goes beyond collections of persons with common interests such as a theatre audience or passengers in an aeroplane. Bennett and Kassarjian in Consumer Behavior cite Krech, Crutchfield and Ballachey's definition from Individual in Society (1962), namely: 'a group is (a) persons who are interdependent upon each other, such that each member's behavior potentially influences the behavior of each of the others, and (b) the sharing of an ideology - a set of beliefs, values, and norms - which regulate their mutual conduct.' Several different types of reference groups may be distinguished, the most basic distinction being between primary and secondary groups. A primary group is one which is small enough for all of the members to communicate with each other face to face (the family, a seminar group, the area sale team), while a secondary group is one where less continuous interaction takes place (professional societies, trade unions, companies etc.). When a group possesses a specified structure and specified functions then it is termed a formal group, but where the structure and function are unspecified, as in a circle of friends, we have an informal group. Both formal and informal groups have norms which prescribe the pattern of behaviour expected of members and the transmission of these norms to new members is known as socialization. In formal groups the norms are usually much more explicit and readily identified than in informal groups, but the norms of the latter are no less demanding if one wishes to remain in membership of the group. In all cases the influence of the group is towards conformity, and the strength of this tendency will depend upon the pressure the group can bring to bear upon the individual, the importance of the group to the individual and the number of groups to which the individual belongs. In a marketing context perhaps the most important group of all is the family - specifically the nuclear family of husband, wife and children (the extended family includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc.). The nuclear family is frequently referred to as 'the household' in consumer studies, but such usage is often looser and may include any group of persons occupying the same housing unit, as does the official US Census Bureau definition. As a primary group the family has great influence upon motives, personality and attitudes, and acts as a mediating influence upon external influences which impinge upon it from culture, subculture, social class and other reference groups. Because of this mediating influence, and due to the economic interdependence of its members, family (household) decision-making has a profound influence upon purchasing and consumption behaviour.

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