Reference Group
 

Our thinking and behavior are often influenced by other people. When we admire and respect someone, we naturally try to imitate their behavior and attitudes. Group of people whom we admire and whose behavior and attitudes we tend to imitate are known as reference groups. Reference groups provide a model—a frame of reference—that we can shape how we think and behave. Over the course of a lifetime, we may be influenced by many different reference groups. As we grow older, or encounter new circumstances, our reference group may change, and our attitudes and behavior may change accordingly.