Rachel is attending Catholic mass for the first time with her best friend Maria. Rachel is unfamiliar with when to sit, when to kneel, or when to stand, and doesn't know when to respond to what the priest says and when to remain silent. When it is time for parishioners to receive Communion, Rachel looks quizzically to Maria, who silently shakes her head. Rachel remains seated while the rest of the congregation files toward the altar. This situation best exemplifies __________.
A) a crisis of conversion.
B) normative social influence
C) informational social influence
D) the power of cultural norms

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rachel is unsure how to behave in the Catholic mass and looks to her friend Maria for guidance. Maria does not give her any clear direction, so Rachel is influenced by the behavior of the rest of the congregation. This is an example of informational social influence, where an individual uses the behavior of others as a source of information for how to behave in a particular situation.

Rachel Is Attending Catholic Mass for the First Time with Her