normative influence

the personal and interpersonal processes that cause individuals to feel, think, and act in ways that are consistent with social norms, standards, and conventions. Normative influence is partly personal, because individuals who have internalized their group’s norms will strive to act in ways that are consistent with those norms. It is also interpersonal, because groups place direct and indirect pressure on members to comply with their norms. Those who consistently violate the group’s norms are often subjected to negative interpersonal consequences (e.g., ostracism, ridicule, punishment), whereas those who conform are typically rewarded. Also called normative social influence. Compare informational influence; interpersonal influence.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

December 21st 2024

viral hypothesis

the theory, first suggested in the early 20th century, that psychoses resembling schizophrenia are associated with influenza epidemics. It was later observed that several types of viral encephalitis may involve schizophrenia-like symptoms, and many studies have investigated the effect of exposure to viral agents, especially in utero, on subsequent development of schizophrenia. In particular, U.S. psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey (1937– ) has noted that the viral hypothesis accounts for the greater number of people with schizophrenia born from January to April (see seasonality effect), a period during which there is a high incidence of viral infections. More recently, however, it has been suggested that virus exposure is a risk factor for—rather than a key causative event in—the development of schizophrenia.