. A reference group is any group—large or small—that positively or negatively affects a person’s values, attitudes, or behaviors.
- There are three major types of reference groups: membership, aspirational, and dissociative.
- a) A membership reference group is one to which an individual actually belongs; the individual identifies with group members strongly enough to take on the values, attitudes, and behaviors of people in that group.
- b) An aspirational reference group is a group to which a person aspires to belong; the individual desires to be like those group members.
- c) A group that a person does not wish to be associated with is a dissociative or negative reference group; the individual does not want to take on the values, attitudes, and behavior of group members.
- A reference group is an individual’s point of comparison and a source of information.
- How much a reference group influences a purchasing decision depends on the individual’s susceptibility to reference group influence and strength of involvement with the group.
- Reference group influence may affect the product decision, the brand decision, or both.
- A marketer sometimes uses reference group influence in advertisements to promote product purchases and high product satisfaction within a specific group.
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