Synonyms
Definition
A process through which members of a relevant social group (e.g., similarly aged peers, friends, coworkers) exert social influence on others to conform to norms specifying appropriate thoughts, feelings, or actions. Peer pressure often involves the explicit or implicit threat of punishment if group norms are ignored or rejected.
Normative Influence and Heroism
Humans are social animals. We pay special attention to the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings of other people – especially people who are close to us or with whom we share important group memberships. Further, social groups often have formal and informal prescriptions about acceptable ways to think, act, or feel; these are known as social norms. Social norms can influence behavior relatively formally: for example, when norms discouraging violent behavior are codified into legal proscriptions against physical assault. However, a less formal type of influence...
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References
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Packer, D.J., Ungson, N.D. (2023). Peer Pressure. In: Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_77-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_77-1
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