Social Influence and the Formation of Social Norms, a Psychosocial Approach

The social influence is not limited to individuals who belong to a particular group, but can occur in various social and life situations. The social influence is not limited to individuals who belong to a particular group, but can occur in various social and life situations. Thus, the individual's attitudes, behaviors, values and standards are formed through his compliance, identification and internalization of the norms and attitudes of others, which will surely influence his behavior by following their expectations and their norms. In fact, the individual's membership in a group requires conformity to its norms and expectations, in order to avoid exclusion and punishment. Also, managing conflict between groups and changing attitudes and stereotypes towards members of the rival group can be achieved through the inclusion of superordinate goals that necessarily require coordination and cooperation between members of the two groups. Bringing about a change in attitudes and behavior of members can be done by group discussion (internal processes) or stimulated by external factors, such as the presence of a competing group or an external enemy that can prevent it from achieving its goals. Furthermore, the attitudes, judgments, thoughts and stereotypes of group members change according to the external relations of the group to which they belong. Therefore, the structure of the group and the nature of the relationships between its members are also affected by the nature of the external challenges.