A woman who has not attended school in 13 years enrolls for classes at the local community college. She is afraid that her younger classmates might not accept her. On the first day of class, she observes the clothing styles of her classmates, and after school she goes shopping and purchases similar clothes. Her classmates could be considered
A) a reference group.
B) an in-group.
C) a focus group.
D) both a reference group and an in-group.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The woman's classmates serve as both a reference group and an in-group. They are a reference group because she is observing their behavior (clothing styles) in order to guide her own actions (shopping for similar clothes). They are also an in-group because they share a common experience (enrolled in the same class) and the woman is concerned about being accepted by them.

A Woman Who Has Not Attended School in 13 Years