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Normative, Informational and Persuasive Social Influences

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1. Compare and contrast normative and informational social influence. Informational Influence and Normative Influence are both categorized under conformity in sociology. Informational is basically when we conform to others behavior because we believe it provides information about reality. It is often when we care about getting the right answer and trying to be rational. It also deals with the "Maybe they know something I don't know" phenomenon. An example, could be choosing to eat at a busier restaurant opposed to the empty one, or imitating the locals when outside your country. In contrast, Normative Influence is when we conform to others behavior because they expect us to. This is when we believe conforming may have positive consequences, such as approval or the enhancement of our reputation, or when we believe not conforming may have negative consequences, such as disapproval or punishment. An example of Normative Influence is laughing at a joke you don't get, or agreeing with an opinion you believe in others. Informational Social Influence this theory consists of the need to analyze different the information and different points of view. When a person is found in an unknown environment, without sufficient information about it. That person will look at other people’s behavior to know what the social norm is and will then behave in a similar way. People need information about their environment to feel comfortable. An example of this would be, if you were waiting at the

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