Final answer:
Informational social influence is when people use group behaviors and opinions for guidance in ambiguous situations, unlike normative influence which is about conforming to be accepted.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of influence that occurs when an individual uses the behaviors and opinions of reference group members as potentially useful bits of information is known as informational social influence. This happens in scenarios where a person looks to the members of a group to obtain and accept information about the reality of a situation.
For example, in the event of an emergency where the situation is ambiguous, an individual might conform to the group’s response after observing their reactions. A classic example of normative social influence is seen in the Asch conformity experiments, where individuals conformed to a majority view, even when it was incorrect, to avoid ridicule or to be accepted by the group.