Normative Social Influence
What is Normative Social Influence?
Normative social influence is the tendency to conform to the expectations and behaviors of a group in order to be liked or accepted, even when we personally disagree or know better. This type of social influence shapes behavior through the pressure to align with group norms.
The Basic Idea
It’s dry January, and you promised yourself a month off alcohol. But when you meet up with friends to celebrate a special event, everyone’s ordering drinks. Someone raises an eyebrow when you stick with water. Another friend nudges, “C’mon, just have one to celebrate with us.” You don’t want the drink, but you cave because being the only one toasting the occasion with water feels weird.
This decision to go along with the group captures something deeply human: our instinct to fit in. Normative social influence is the subtle force that guides us to align with group expectations because we want to belong. Fitting in feels safe. Standing out, even for the right reasons, can feel risky.
From parties and how we dress to the choices we make in meetings, classrooms, or elections, the pressure to conform shapes much more than we realize. Understanding normative social influence can help us recognize when we're making choices for connection over conviction, and why it feels so hard to pause and decide for ourselves.
That we have found the tendency to conformity in our society so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black is a matter of concern.
— Solomon Asch, Polish-American social psychologist1
About the Author
Joy VerPlanck
Dr. VerPlanck brings over two decades of experience helping teams learn and lead in high-stakes environments. With a background in instructional design and behavioral science, she develops practical solutions at the intersection of people and technology. Joy holds a Doctorate in Educational Technology and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, and often writes about cognitive load and creativity as levers to enhance performance.
