The consumer research literature identifies three kinds of reference groups:

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The three kinds of reference groups identified in the consumer research literature are membership groups (to which a consumer belongs), anticipatory groups (to which a consumer aspires to belong), and dissociative groups (to which a consumer does not want to belong). These are also referred to as aspirational groups and avoidance groups, respectively. Local, global, and legal groups are not recognized categories of reference groups, and while friendship groups may be considered a type of membership group, it is not one of the three categories specifically identified in the literature.

The Consumer Research Literature Identifies Three Kinds of Reference Groups